TEST OF HEPATIC FUNCTION 129 



mortem autolytic processes. 28 In further course of auto- 

 lysis the creatin undergoes partial anhydration into 

 creatinin; and thereafter both substances may be decom- 

 posed by fermentation. 



Cleavage of Creatin from Oilier Tissues. Assuming, 

 for a time at least, the formation of creatin in muscle 

 autolysis as proven, the further question presents itself 

 as to whether production by autolytic cleavage is limited to 

 the musculature or whether the same possibility resides in 

 other tissues as well. Gottlieb and Stangassinger 29 (after 

 observing in experiments in which they employed expressed 

 tissue juices, that, as in case of muscle, so, too, in kidneys in 

 an early stage of autolysis there appears an increase of 

 the creatin and creatinin present) have expressed the opin- 

 ion, based upon perfusion experiments, that probably ' ' quite 

 a number of different tissues are to be considered as possible 

 sources of the blood creatin. The formation of creatin in 

 the perfused livers of well nourished animals is apparently 

 quite important. . . . It is therefore entirely possible 

 that the liver in lifetime may be an important site of creatin 

 formation." The above statements bearing upon the 

 topography of creatin formation are unmistakably very 

 meagre. The fact that many tissues contain creatin, and, 

 too, that many bacteria 30 are able to produce creatinin, 

 should perhaps be interpreted as indicating that we really 

 have here to do with a widespread function of living cells. 



Test of Hepatic Function. Our knowledge of the topog- 

 raphy of the other phases of creatin metabolism (anhydra- 

 tion of creatin into creatinin, and the decomposition of 

 both substances) is likewise by no means satisfactory. It 



28 F. Urano ( Hof meister's Lab.), Hofmeister's Beitr., 9, 104, 1906; R. 

 Gottlieb and R. Stangassinger, Zeitschr. f. physiol. Chem., 52, 1, 1907; A. 

 Rothmann (Gottlieb's Lab.), ibid., 57, 131, 1908; J. S'eeman, Zeitschr. f. BioL, 

 55, 322, 1908; 69, 333, 1907; E. Mellanby, Jour, of Physiol., 36, 447, 1908. 



28 R. Gottlieb and R. Stangassinger, Zeitschr. f. physiol. Chem., 55, 322, 336, 

 1908. 



30 N. Antonoff, Centralbl. f . Bakter., 43, 209, 1907. 



