116 Causes and Course of Organic Evolution 



or group of proteids possibly, that we term protoplasm, has 

 a highly unstable character in virtue of the N atom. Now, 

 in the decomposition products of protoplasm and of proteids 

 generally, a constituent part of these seems always to be the 

 radical cyanogen (CN). Verworn, therefore, in commenting 

 on and quoting from Pfluger's studies on this subject, says: 

 "This points strongly to the probability that living proteid 

 contains the radical cyanogen, and thus differs fundamentally 

 from dead or food proteid. Pfluger therefore says: 'In 

 the formation of cell substance, i. e., of living proteid, out of 

 food proteid, a change of the latter takes place, the atoms of 

 nitrogen going into a cyanogen-like relation -with the atoms 

 of carbon, probably Tvdth the absorption of considerable heat. 

 That considerable heat is absorbed in the formation of cyanogen 

 follows from the fact that, as calorimetric investigations show, 

 cyanogen is a radical possessing a great quantity of internal 

 energy. By the addition of cyanogen to the living molecule, 

 therefore, there is introduced into the living matter energetic 

 internal motion. 



" 'Accordingly the great property of decomposition possessed 

 by Uving proteid is explained as the result of the absorption of 

 oxygen; for, since the atoms of cyanogen are in active vibration, 

 the carbon atom of the cyanogen at the approach of two oxygen 

 atoms will pass out of the sphere of influence of the nitrogen 

 atom into that of the oxygen, and will unite mth the latter 

 into carbonic acid. Thus the cause of the formation of carbonic 

 acid, i. e., of the decomposition of the living substance, lies 

 in the cyanogen, and the condition is the intra-molecular intro- 

 duction of oxygen.' " 



The last sentence deserved special consideration, for in 

 connection with poisoning of the protoplasm we have suggested 

 that withdrawal of oxygen from it seems to be the main cause 

 of its molecular disruption. The immediately succeeding for- 

 mation of nitrogenous cleavage products such as creatin and 

 lecithin, in which cyanogen-like groupings occur, suggests in this 

 as in other protoplasmic changes that wdthdrawal of needed 

 oxygen causes splitting of the cyanogen, or of an allied nitro. 



