and Toxie Agents on the Amylolytic Action of Saliva. 75 
testing the amylolytic power of the ferment its action was found to 
be much weaker than the control. From this fact, Stolnikow consi- 
ders that the septic poison acts upon the ferment outside the body 
in a manner similar to atropine. 
Now it is obvious, in view of the extreme susceptibility of the 
ferments of the saliva and pancreas to the action of acids and alka- 
lies, that the atropine solution must be perfectly neutral. Several 
specimens of atropine sulphate that we have examined, have had a 
slight acid reaction. 
In view of the apparent identity of the amylolytic ferments of the 
salivary and pancreatic secretions we have repeated in principle 
Stolnikow’s experiment with human saliva, using perfectly neutral 
atropine sulphate. 
To 10 ¢.c¢. of the dilute, neutral, saliva hitherto used, 0°3 gram of 
pure atropine sulphate was added (=3-0 per cent. of the alkaloid 
salt, while Stolnikow’s mixture contained but 1:0 per cent.) and 
the solution allowed to stand for 18 hours at the Laboratory tempera- 
ture. On now being added to the starch solution, diluted up to 100 
c.c. [0°3 per cent. atropine sulphate] and placed at 40° C. for 30 
minutes, the starch paste quickly became clear and it was found on 
examination that 29:16 per cent. of starch had been converted, 
while the control, in the presence of 0:2 per cent. of atropine sul- 
phate, showed a conversion of 28°11 per cent. of the starch. Hence 
there had been no destruction of the salivary ferment by even 3-0 
per cent. of pure atropine sulphate, although as our previous experi- 
ments show very much smaller percentages may, by their presence, 
hinder the auction of the ferment. 
Strychnine sulphate and brucine sulphate. 
O. Nasse has previously studied the influence of 0-1 per cent. 
strychnine acetate on the diastatic action of saliva and has noted a 
slight increase in amylolytic action in the presence of the strychnine 
[109:100]. Our results with the two alkaloids are as follows: 
Total amount Starch 
Alkaloid. Wt. Cu in 4%. reducing bodies. converted. 
0 0°1485 gram. 0°3028 gram. 27-25 per cent. 
Strychnine sulphate. 
0-050 per cent. 01444 0°2936 26°42 
("250 0°1448 0°2936 26°42 
0500 071462 02976 26°78 
Brucine sulphate. 
0:050 per cent. 0°1503 0°3060 27-54 
0°500 071524 0°3100 27°90 
1000 0°1505 03060 27°54 
