A REVIEW OF SOME RECENT LITERATURE ON THE 

 CHEMISTRY OF THE CENTRAL NERVOUS 

 SYSTEM. 



By ISADOR H. CORIAT, M.D., 



Worcester Insane Hospital. 



The last few years have witnessed a marvelous impetus and great 

 evolution in our ideas of anatomical and chemical facts concerning 

 the central nervous system. The cerebro-spinal fluid has also shared 

 in this advance, partly as the result of independent study, but chiefly 

 because of its intimate relation to the nerve structures. The litera- 

 ture on the subject is scattered through the various journals and re- 

 ports, but outside of Thudichum's book on the chemical constitution 

 of the brain of man and lower animals, and of Sicard's recent work on 

 the cerebro-spinal fluid, there has been no serious attempt to summarize 

 the recent publications on the chemistry of the nervous system, both 

 in normal and pathological states. It seems opportune, therefore, to 

 review the most available facts along these lines, and point out in what 

 manner these may be utilized to stimulate further research. Of course, 

 in the limits imposed by a review, only the most important papers can 

 be abstracted. The work on neuro-chemistry has been pushed in 

 several directions, of which the principal ones merit the following 

 subdivisions : 



1 . More systematic attempts at classifying the various substances 

 of the brain. 



2. The isolation of nerve products by newer methods. 



3. The further ultimate analysis of these products. 



4. The chemistry of the finer structure of the nerve cells, includ- 

 ing the micro-chemistry of various stains. 



5. The autolysis of brain tissue. 



6. Analysis ot the brain and cord in various normal and patho- 

 logical states. 



7. The chemistry of the cerebro-spinal fluid, particularly as a 

 medium for the various products of nerve degeneration. 



8. The physiological action of various normal and pathological 

 nerve products. 



The substances so far isolated from the brain follow. The classi- 

 jication is merely a tentative one and must not be looked upon as 



