FOREWORD 15 



After the above-described method of preparing the protein 

 extracts had been employed for several months in my laboratory, 

 a more expeditious method was devised, the essential features 

 of which consist of boiling the powdered plant products for from 

 two to four hours in a very dilute solution of hydrochloric acid 

 (20 to 80 cubic centimeters of 10 per cent, hydrochloric acid to 

 the liter of water, incorporating 50 to 100 grams of the plant 

 powder) ; filtering; neutralizing with sodium hydroxide; refilter- 

 ing; standardizing by the Kjeldahl nitrogen test; sealing in the 

 ampules, and sterilizing for three days discontinuously. 



This extract contains more extraneous matter (starch, glucose, 

 lipoids, salts) than the other, but if properly prepared it is a 

 perfectly transparent fluid, varying in color from amber to claret 

 according to the specific protein content. The partially hydro- 

 lyzed protein (alkali albumen, proteose, peptone) does not coag- 

 ulate on heating, but is partly precipitated by alcohol. Nitric acid 

 precipitates it in part ; the precipitate being dissolved on boiling, 

 to reprecipitate on cooling (the familiar test for proteoses). 



Proteals thus prepared are pleasant to administer, and as a 

 rule produce little or no reaction, and, in ordinary dosage, no con- 

 spicuous systemic reaction. No case of anaphylactic shock from 

 their use has been observed by me, or reported, although many 

 thousand ampules of Proteals of this character have been sent 

 from my laboratory to physicians in all parts of the western 

 hemisphere, and administered to a large aggregate number of 

 patients suffering from disturbances of protein metabolism asso- 

 ciated with anaemias, intestinal toxaemias, neurasthenia, rheuma- 

 toid conditions, arteriosclerosis, cancer, psoriasis, asthma, and 

 tuberculosis. 



THE PRACTICAL ADMINISTRATION OF THE PROTEALS 



A few words about the practical administration of the Pro- 

 teals above described will perhaps be of service to the physi- 

 cian who may consult this book without having time or inclina- 

 tion to read the more elaborate presentation of the subject which 

 makes up the chief content of later chapters. 



As above explained, Proteals are non-toxic vegetable proteins 

 in sterile saline solution, standardized by a nitrogen test. They 

 give opportunity for the application of non-specific protein ther- 

 apy to a wide range of maladies associated with disturbed protein 

 metabolism, with or without bacterial infection. 



The name Proteal originated with me, and has not been applied, 

 so far as I know, to any product made elsewhere than in my pri- 

 vate laboratory. There is no restriction, however, on the use 

 of the word or on the preparation of the products themselves. 

 I hope presently to see the Proteals made in Board-of-Health 



