180 PATHOLOGY OF PURIN METABOLISM 



stable urate. Following the conceptions originating with 

 Emil Fischer in relation to the tautomeric forms of uric acid, 

 we may suppose that we have here a transformation of 

 instable lactamurate into stable lactimurate : 



LACTAM FORM LACTIM FORM 



NH CO N=C(OH) 



CO O-NH > C(OH) C NH 



\H-A-NH> CO \4- 



A transformation of this kind, from the instable to the 

 stable form, seems to take place in the circulating blood. 19 

 It is supposed that because of the difference in solubility of 

 these two interchangeable forms of monourate, the blood of 

 gouty individuals must at times represent a supersaturated 

 solution of uric acid, which can only gradually resume its 

 equilibrium by removal of urates by crystallization. That 

 gouty blood is not comparable, however, at least not in all 

 conditions, to a supersaturated solution of uric acid is evi- 

 dent from Klemperer's results, showing that the blood of a 

 gouty subject is capable of dissolving considerable amounts 

 more of uric acid. Apparently it were best to hold that the 

 subject is not at present proved to be a matter of pathological 

 importance. 



Nucleinic Acid Combination With Uric Acid. From 

 the observation that uric acid can no longer be precipi- 

 tated either by acetic acid or by alkaline ammonio-silver- 

 magnesia mixture from a mixed solution of uric acid and 

 nucleinic acid, Minkowski has held that it is probable 

 "that uric acid primarily exists in the blood and the tissue 

 juices in combination with nucleinic acid, and that not only 

 the conversion of the purin bases into uric acid, but also 

 the solubility and transportation as well as the further 

 changes of the uric acid in the living body is regulated by 



U G. Gudfcent (His's Med. Clinic, Berlin), Zeitschr. f. physiol. Chem., 60, 

 38, 1909; 63, 455, 1909; Centralbl. f. Stoffw., 5, 289, 1910. 



