174 Chittenden and Whitehouse—Influence of Cinchonidine 
v. Boeck considers that quinine owes its retarding influence on 
proteid metabolism to a direct action of the alkaloid upon the cells and 
their activity, although the alkaloid doubtless does unite with albu- 
min or alter its constitution so as to render it less readily decompos- 
able. Metallic salts, as lead and mercury, certainly form compounds 
with albumin difficultly decomposable, as also does arsenic, and vy. 
Boeck suggests that these metallic poisons unite with the proteid 
matter of the various organs of the body, while quinine unites sim- 
ply with the circulating albumin, explaining in this manner the ready 
elimination of quinine as compared with the slow excretion of mer- 
cury or arsenic, the latter of which v. Boeck* has shown has little if 
any influence on proteid metabolism. Prior, moreover, states that 
diminution in the urine of the end-products of hitrogenous metabol- 
ism is due, not to hindering of their excretion, but to actual hindering 
of their formation. 
Comparing now Kerner’s results, with the results obtained by us 
with cinchonidine, we see great similarity of action but decided dif- 
ference in extent, particularly so far as the excretion of uric acid is 
concerned, With cinchonidine, the greatest average daily diminu- 
tion in uric acid amounts to but 15 per cent., and this after taking 
about 121 grains of the alkaloid during four consecutive days. Se- 
lecting the lowest single result, that obtained on the day 50 grains 
of cinchonidine were taken and comparing the diminution then, with 
the average normal excretion, it is seen to amount to but 26 per 
cent. In the case of urea and phosphoric acid, the divergence is not 
so great; thus for urea the average daily diminution was 11 per cent. 
for the three days following the last dose of cinchonidine, while the 
greatest diminution noticed in any one day was 16 per cent.; with 
phosphoric acid the average diminution for the same period amounted 
to 19 per cent., while the greatest diminution noticed any one day 
was 38 per cent.; a diminution which at no time was reached in 
Kerner’s experiments with quinine. 
Thus in drawing a comparison between Kerner’s results with 7775 
grains of quinine distributed through three days, and our results with 
121 grains of cinchonidine extended over four days, we see two strik- 
ing points of difference; with quinine there is a diminution in the 
amount of uric acid excreted of 82 per cent., with cinchonidine an 
average diminution of but-15 per cent. ; with quinine there is a dimin- 
ution of phosphoric acid amounting to 15 per cent., with cinchoni- 
dine, on the other hand, a diminution of 19 per cent. Hence it is to 
* Zeitschrift fir Biologie, vol. vii, p. 430, 
