(982 ) 
Physiology. — “On the Injluence of lodoform, Chloroform, and 
other substances dissoluble in fats, on phagocytosis.” By Prof. 
HAMBURGER, J. DE Haan, and Dr. F. BuBanovic. ') 
(Communicated in the meeting of January 28, 1911). 
For the last 30 years lodoform has been successfully applied in 
the treatment of wounds and chronic inflammations. At first it was 
thought that the favourable effect was based upon an antiseptic 
action, but the idea was relinquished when it was found that lower 
organisms amply develop themselves in a medium containing iodine. 
Then other hypotheses were suggested which need not be dwelt 
upon here*) They are mainly founded on Iodine being split off. 
None of these hypotheses, however, have proved to be generally 
satisfactory. 
For reasons which it is not necessary to state here, we have 
raised the question whether the favourable effect of Iodoform on 
local infectious processes might be due, partly at least, to the stimu- 
lating effect of this substance on phagocytosis. 
The method of investigation adopted corresponded entirely with 
that we followed when studying in our laboratory the effects of 
other substances on phagocytosis. *) 
I. Errncr OF IODOFORM ON PHAGOCYTOSIS. 
For this purpose a NaCl-solution of 0.9°/, was shaken with lodo- 
form powder. Of the saturated [odoform-solution thus obtained 5 cM* 
were added to 0.2 eM* of a suspension of horse leucocytes in NaCl 
sol: 0.9 *.,. 
At the same time a mixture was prepared of 0.3 eM? NaCl sol. 
0.9 °/, without Iodoform and 0.2 eM?’ of the same leucocyte suspension. 
Both mixtures were left to themselves for 1'/, hour, exposed for 
10 minutes to the influence of 37°, carbon having been previously 
added, and then cooled down. Finally microscopic preparations were 
made and it was investigated what percentage of the total amount 
of white blood corpuscles had taken up carbon. This was also done 
with suspensions, which instead of 10 minutes, had been in contact 
with carbon at 37° for 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 1*’, hour. 
Of the many series of experiments made, we subjoin some. 
1) More explicit communications will appear elsewhere. 
2) A discussion of these is found among others in Stoxvis—ZeEenuizen’s Voor- 
drachten over Geneesmiddelleer. 3rd Ed., 1906, Vol. 1, p. 399 and foll. 
3) Hampurcer and Hexma. Proceedings of June 29th 1907, HamBureer u. DE 
Haan. Biochem, Zeitschr. 24. 470, 1910; Cf.also Proceedings of June 9th 1910. 
