TT^. Kilhne mid R. H. Chittenden — Myosinoses. 141 



tioii could be accomplished only by repeated treatment with the fer- 

 ment. The gastric j nice at first emyloyed was prepared by warming 

 120 grams of mucous membrane from a pig's stomach with 1200 c. c. 

 0-4 per cent, hydrochloric acid for 24 hours at 41° C, filtration 

 through paper, dilution of the acid fluid with an equal volume of 

 water and further exposure to a temperature of 40° C. for four days, 

 in order to convert any dissolved albumoses into peptone. 



The digestive fluid so obtained contained 0"2 per cent. HCl and 

 0-5 per cent, solid matter. 



200 grams of finely powdered myosin were placed in 2 litres of 

 this gastric juice, 2 litres of 0*2 per cent, hydrochloric acid added 

 and the whole warmed at 40° C. for two days. As only a little of 

 the myosin appeared to be dissolved, the acidity was increased to 

 0*4 per cent, and the mixture continued at 40° C. for 24 hours longer. 

 Although a large residue still remained undissolved, the entire 

 mixture was made neutral with sodium hydroxide and strained 

 through a cloth filter. The undigested residue, together with the 

 abundant neutralization precipitate, was again warmed for several 

 days at 40° C. with 2 litres of 0*4 per cent, hydrochloric acid con- 

 taining 7 "5 grams of scrapings from a stomach mucous membrane. 

 After stopping the action of the pepsin by neutralization, this second 

 digestive fluid was added to the first. In spite of the energetic 

 action of the pepsin (tested by allowing a little of the solution to 

 act on boiled fibrin), there still remained considerable undissolved 

 substance together with considerable neutralization precipitate, the 

 whole apparently very resistant to the action of the ferment. In the 

 united solutions there was present less than 100 grams of organic 

 matter, of which it is fair to presume about 10-5 grams consisted of 

 impurity in the form of substances from the stomach membrane. 

 When it is remembered, however, that well prepared gastric juice 

 contains only a very small amount of substances precipitable by the 

 salts used in separation of the proteoses, it is fair to assume that this 

 impurity in the digestive fluid is unimportant in the study of the 

 myosinoses. In all, nearly 60 grams of myosinoses were obtained. 



For separation of the myosinoses, the united neutral filtrates were 

 concentrated to about one-sixth of their volume and saturated with 

 crystals of rock salt, by which the fluid was converted into a gelatinous 

 mass. On adding saturated salt solution to a portion of the filtered 

 fluid it was rendered decidedly turbid ; consequently, three volumes 

 of a saturated sodium chloride solution were added to the mixture, 

 after which it was found that neither salt in substance or in solution 



