Ahtipyrin, and Antifehrln on. Proteid Metabolism. 59 



We must conclude, therefore, that acetanilide tends to increase some- 

 what the excretion of urea, but that with such doses as we have era- 

 ployed the increase in proteid metabolism cannot be great. This is 

 further indicated by the lack of any corresponding change in the 

 excretion of sulphur. 



The excretion of phosphorus is also unaffected by antifebrin. 



On the excretion of uric acid, however, our results indicate a 

 special inliibitory influence. This is quite apparent both in the 

 averages of the different series and in the individual results, and, if 

 correct, would appear to be the most marked characteristic of 

 antifebrin, so far as its influence on proteid metabolism is concerned. 

 Various observers have stated that antifebrin acts as a diuretic, 

 others that it decreases the secretion of water, and while doubtless 

 both results have been seen to follow its administration in diseased 

 conditions of the system, our experiment on a healthy man gives no 

 evidence of any action of this kind. 



Since the foregoing was written we have seen the results of 

 Kumagawa's* experiment with antifebrin on a dog, from which he 

 concludes that acetanilide taken in small doses (2-3 grams per day) 

 does not give rise to any apprecial)le increase in the decomposition of 

 proteid matter, but that larger doses (4-5 grams per day) cause a very 

 marked increase, as indicated by the increased excretion of nitrogen. 

 Such doses are, however, as Kumagawa liimself admits, too large, 

 especially when given to a moderate sized dog, to have the results of 

 any practical value. Lepine,f too, experimenting on a hungry dog, 

 thought he found an increase in the excretion of nitrogen after giv- 

 ing two doses of one and two grams of antifebrin. Further, Ademski]; 

 is quoted as considering that urea is increased, but the total quan- 

 tity of nitrogen decreased by antifebrin. Bokai, that the amount of 

 nitrogen is diminished and Berezooski that the urea decreases with 

 the fall of temperature. Whether these latter views are founded on 

 actual experiments or are mere conjecture I do not know. 



According to Jaffe and Hilbert,§ rabbits fed upon antifebrin excrete 

 it mainly as paramidophenol-sulphuric acid, and Kumagawa has like- 

 wise found, in the case of a dog, that neither acetanilide nor aniline 

 appear in the urine, but that the antifebrin is excreted mainly as 

 paramidophenol united to sulphuric acid. 



* Virchow's Archiv. Band cxiii, p. 171. 



f See Salkowski's Bemerkung in Virchow's Archiv, Band cxiii, p. 394. 

 X See Report on Antifebrin in the Therapeutic Gazette, vol. xii, p. 571. 

 § Zeitschrift fur phyaiologisohe chemie, xii, p. 307. 



