fV. — The influence of several new therapeutic agents on 



AMTLOLYTIC AND PROTEOLYTIC ACTION. By R. H. ChITTEN- 



DEN AND C. W. Stewart, Ph.B. 



In view of the pronounced action of a number of newly discovered 

 therapeutic agents on metabolism, we have deemed it of importancfe 

 to widen our knowledge regarding their physiological action by 

 attempting a study of their behavior towards the amylolytic and 

 proteolytic ferments, with the hope of gaining some insight into 

 their influence on normal digestion. 



The methods employed were similar to those used in previous ex- 

 periments of this kind,* in which the action of varying percentages 

 of the drug were determined quantitatively. 



Influence on amylolytic action. 



As amylolytic ferment, human mixed saliva was employed, filtered 

 and carefully neutralized, and then diluted with distilled water in the 

 proportion of 1 to 5. The experiments were made in series, in which 

 one digestion of each series served as a control for comparison. The 

 volume of each digestive mixture was 100 c. c, in which was present 

 1 gram of perfectly neutral potato starch previously boiled with a 

 portion of the water, 10 c. c. of diluted neutral saliva and a given 

 quantity of the substance to be experimented with. The mixtures 

 were warmed at 40° C. for thirty minutes, after which further action 

 of the ferment was stopped by heating the solution to boiling. The 

 extent of amylolytic action was then ascertained, by determining in 

 one-fourth of the solution the amount of reducing substances by 

 Allihn's gravimetric method. f For the sake of convenience, the 

 total amount of reducing substance was calculated as dextrose, from 

 which in turn was calculated the percentage of starch converted. 



Antipyrin. 



With this new antipyretic, several series of experiments with small 

 percentages were made which show clearly that the substance is 



* Studies from the Laboratory of Pbysiological Chemistry, Yale University, vols, i 

 and ii. 



f Zeitschrift fiir aualytische chemie, xxii, p. 448. 



