On the Bases (Organic) in the Juice of Flesh. 301 



Portion C. 



Weight of flesh 86 Ib. 4 ozs. 



Exposure to air before HgCl 2 34 hours. 



Volume of HgCl 2 solution 8000 c.c. 



Weight of spherical Hg salt 76*5 grams. 



Time required to remove HgCl 2 6 weeks. 



Darkening of colour during evaporation Very great. 



Kreatine obtained 16'63 grams. 



The deductions which I am inclined to draw from these results 



are : 



1. That kreatine is not present in fresh muscle substance, but that 



it is a product of bacterial action upon some constituent of 

 the flesh. 



2. That the source of kreatine obtained from flesh is either the 



sarcous kreatinin or some closely-allied substance. 



3. That sarcous kreatinin is probably a true " educt" i.e., is really 



present in the fresh muscle-substance; but, having regard to 

 the extremely slow separation of its mercury salt, it is just 

 possible that it may result from gradual changes effected in 

 some closely allied substance by the prolonged action of solu- 

 tion of mercuric chloride. 



In conclusion, T will briefly record some experiments which I have 

 made to ascertain whether kreatine may be converted into other bases 

 by the prolonged action of mercuric chloride in aqueous solution at 

 the ordinary temperature. It is commonly asserted that aqueous 

 solution of kreatine is not acted upon by mercuric chloride. This 

 statement, however, requires modification. It is true that there is 

 no instantaneous action, but, after standing for 24 hours, a slight 

 cloud forms in a mixed aqueous solution of kreatine and mercuric 

 chloride. This precipitate increases week after week, and month 

 after month, and is the mercury salt of kreatinin (spherical). 



0'5 gram of pure kreatine, dissolved in 70 c.c. of water and mixed 

 with 20 c.c. of cold saturated solution of mercuric chloride, 

 deposited in the course of five months 0'7591 gram of spheri- 

 cal mercury salt of kreatinin, from which a tabular kreatinin 

 was obtained in well-formed crystals. This tabular kreatinin 

 formed a beautiful gold salt, which left, on ignition, 43'63 per 

 cent, of gold. 



Required for C 4 H 7 N" 3 O.HCl.AuCl 3 , 43'46 per cent. Au. 



This gold salt resembled that of the tabular kreatinin obtained 

 from urinary kreatine by Liebig's process, in being decomposed by 

 ether, AuCl 3 being dissolved and the kreatinin hydrochloride left. 



