72 PROTEIN POISONS 



matter was only 0.15 gram, equivalent to 0.3 per cent, of 

 the original." This body is also found in the dilute acid 

 extracts of cellular proteins, as is shown by the following 

 additional quotation from Leach: "Some earlier investi- 

 gations in this laboratory upon the toxicity of the colon 

 germ showed the desirability of studying the action of 

 dilute acid upon the cell substance. Accordingly, samples 

 were treated with 1 per cent, sulphuric acid under varying 

 conditions. On filtering, a light brown or straw-colored 

 fluid was obtained. This readily reduced nitric acid and 

 gave the typical xanthoproteic color on the addition of 

 ammonia. In no case was there more than a slight biuret 

 test, and there was too much sulphate present for a satis- 

 factory Millon test. The a-naphthol test for furfurol was 

 positive. Alcohol gave a voluminous precipitate, A, which 

 will be described more fully under another heading. The 

 alcoholic filtrate, B, was neutralized with sodium hydroxide, 

 the sodium sulphate filtered out, together with some organic 

 matter mechanically carried down, and the liquid distilled 

 under diminished pressure at 30 to 38. The liquid residue, 

 C, left after distillation, turned yellow on heating with 

 potassium hydroxide, but gave neither the biuret nor 

 Millon test. Again, the xanthoproteic and a-naphthol 

 tests were positive, but it failed to reduce either Fehling's 

 or Nylander's solution (after boiling with dilute mineral 

 acid). It yielded precipitates with ammonium molybdate, 

 phosphomolybdic acid, ammoniacal silver nitrate, and 

 picric acid. A guinea-pig was injected with 5 c.c. of C 

 with no apparent effect." 



We are inclined to attribute the sticky, mucilaginous 

 properties of both acid and alkaline extracts of bacterial 

 cellular substances to these bodies giving the furfurol 

 reaction, and here regarded as carbohydrates. Further- 

 more, we are of the opinion, though this cannot be con- 

 sidered as conclusive, that the one yielding a reducing sugar 

 after boiling with dilute mineral acid exists in the cellular 

 molecule as a constituent of the nucleic acid group, while 

 the other is a part of the protein component. 



