24 Chittenden and Hart — Elastin and the Elastose Bodies. 



then neutralized with sodium carbonate. No neutralization pre- 

 cipitate was observed. By further evaporation of the neutral fluid 

 on a water-bath, a gummy mass separated on the bottom of the 

 dish. It was quite tenacious, something like rubber, soluble in cold 

 water, biit not so readily in hot. The cold water solution of the 

 gummy mass, and the mother-liquor showed the following reactions: 



1 . Heated in a test-tube, the sohition quickly became turbid, giving finally, 

 if concentrated, a sticky precipitate. The turbidity, however, immediately 

 disappeared as tlie fluid cooled, returning again when heat was applied 

 and disappearing wlien cold. When the solution was so concentrated as to 

 yield a heavy precipitate by heat, it naturally dissolved more slowly. 



2. With chloroplatinic acid, a heavy yellow precipitate was formed, 

 readily soluble in alcohol. 



3. Heated with acetic acid there was no change, but addition of potas- 

 sium ferrocyanide to the acid fluid caused a heavy precipitate. 



4. Millon's reagent gave a strong reaction similar to the albumin reaction. 

 .5. Strong potassium hydroxide gave a fine flocculent precipitate, insoluble 



in excess of the alkali. 



6. Pure dilute nitric acid gave a heavy precipitate, only slowly soluble in 

 excess of the acid. Heated, it yielded a clear yellow fluid and with ammo- 

 nia gave the orange yellow color of the xanthoprotein reaction. 



7. Pure dilute hydrochloric acid yielded a slight precipitate, soluble in 

 large excess. 



8. Saturation of the sohition with ammonium sulphate gave a heavy, 

 gummy precij^itate. 



The gummy mass and the original filtrate giving approximately 

 the same reactions, the solution of the former was united witii the 

 latter, the fluid made slightly acid with acetic acid and then satu- 

 rated in the cold with ammonium sulphate. The saturated fluid, on 

 bcino- boiled, gave a second gummy precipitate which was added to 

 the first. 



From analogy with the reactions of the proteoses, ammonium sul- 

 phate should precipitate any elastose bodies formed, leaving in solu- 

 tion the true peptone. The precipitates formed in the manner de- 

 scribed were washed by being rubbed up in a mortar with hot satu- 

 rated ammonium sulphate solution, and the washings added to the 

 filtrate. A portion of the ammonium sulphate was then removed 

 from the solution by concentration and crystallization, and the re- 

 mainder by dialysis in running water. On testing the solution 

 for peptone, however, none could be found; the biuret test failed to 

 give any reaction, as did also phosphotungstic acid. 



