1216 Journal of Applied Microscopy 



than in sarcomas. In fact, the round-celled type is the only form of sarcoma in 

 which the invasion of the sarcolemma sac has been observed. 



A variety of changes occurs in the muscle fibers as a result of the presence 

 of the neoplasm. Simple atrophy is the most frequent. Usually the muscle 

 nuclei disappear as the muscle fibers atrophy. Sometimes, however, the nuclei 

 increase greatly in number. Multiplication occurs chiefly, if not entirely, by 

 direct division. The nuclei may be found in masses, which may be mistaken 

 for giant cells. 



The tumor cells may compress muscle fibers, giving rise to an irregular 

 atrophy, which causes the fibers to assume a beaded appearance. 



All the changes which occur in regenerating muscle and which have been 

 regarded as regenerative processes are found in the degenerating muscle. 

 Hence, it is impossible to tell by histological examination alone whether regen- 

 eration or degeneration is in progress. j. h. p. 



Benedict, Dr. A. L., Buffalo. Clinical Quanti- In the examination of stomach con- 

 tative Analysis of Proteids in Stomach ^^^^ ^^^^ f^ jj^g ^.g^j function of the 

 Contents. 



Stomach, and how well or how poorly 



that function is performed, has not been ascertained. It has been learned how 

 much hydrochloric acid remained in excess of that taken up by food ; whether a 

 similar excess of ferments was present ; how much the stomach had interfered 

 with starch digestion, and when the stomach passed its contents into the small 

 intestine ; but the direct issue of the amount of albumin transformed into albu- 

 moses and true peptones has been ignored. 



The method consists in the successive precipitation of the proteids in solu- 

 tion in the stomach contents and their approximate measurement by centrifugal- 

 izing the three precipitates, acid albumin; albumoses and peptones. At first 

 thought, this would seem to be a very simple matter, but I assure you that to 

 place it on a practical clinical basis required a large amount of research and 

 laboratory experiment, as well as interviews and correspondence with chemists. 

 Strangely enough, no analytic chemist seems to have undertaken the problem 

 before. Any physiological chemistry contains directions regarding the reactions 

 of the various forms of nitrogenous matter, but, in practically every case, it was 

 assumed that an unlimited supply, usually prepared artificially, was available. 

 In all instances, the tests were given with the understanding that the investi- 

 gator would perform them as a matter of scientific curiosity and not with the 

 practical, analytic object of separating and quantitating the ingredients of a 

 mixed mass of proteids. For several years, it has been my custom to take up 

 some special problem, either in physical diagnosis, applied chemistry of diges- 

 tion, microscopical technic, or some other theoretic topic that seemed likely to 

 yield practical results if properly applied, and to make a winter's study of it. 

 But the problem of proteid digestion in the stomach has occupied two winters, 

 simply because my ignorance of certain scientific details of chemistry compelled 

 me to grope in the dark; while, on the other hand, lack of familiarity with the 

 conditions of medical practice prevented ' chemists from giving me exactly the 

 information which would have been of the greatest use. I mention this point 



