BLOOD AND LYMPH. 



559 



than that from cats. 1 More soluble, and for that reason more difficult to 

 prepare, are the oxyhemoglobins from the blood of men, cattle, and pigs. 2 

 It has been attempted to draw conclusions concerning the uniformity or 

 differences in the different kinds of oxyhemoglobin by studying their ele- 

 mentary compositions. We shall cite a few of such analyses in the table 

 below, but will state again, that the elementary composition of such com- 

 plicated compounds signifies scarcely anything at all. Even if it were 

 possible to decompose hemoglobin quantitatively into simpler components, 

 we would not be justified in assuming, if we obtained the same relative 

 amounts of the various constituents, that the different kinds of hemoglobin 

 were uniform. It may be that the various amino acids are arranged in 

 a different order in the globin molecule, to say nothing of the various possi- 

 bilities for the formation of isomers. We hold that it is extremely essential 

 to emphasize the fact that the elementary analyses of proteins and their 

 complicated cleavage-products should only be used with great caution as 

 a basis for drawing conclusions, or for further investigations, and that the 

 real value of each ultimate analysis is but very slight. 



ELEMENTARY ANALYSIS OF OXYHEMOGLOBIN. 



In per cents. 



We find from these analyses that the hemoglobin of mammals contains 

 the elements carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, sulphur, oxygen, and iron, while 

 that of birds contains phosphorus in addition. It is very questionable 

 whether the phosphorus content is due to a peculiarity of the oxyhemo- 

 globin in birds or whether it is not rather due to an impurity. We remem- 



1 Abderhalden: Z. physiol. Chem. 24, 545 (1898), and F. Kriiger: Z. Biol. 26, 469 

 (1890), and Z. physiol. Chem. 25, 256 (1898). 



2 G. Hiifner: Beitrage zur Lehre vom Blutfarbstoff (1887). 



3 Abderhalden: Z. physiol. Chem. 37, 484 (1903). 



4 A. Jaquet: Dissert. Basel, 1899, and Z. physiol. Chem. 12, 285 (1888). 



5 J. C. Otto: find. 7, 57 (1882). 



8 According to the author's analyses. 



7 Hoppe-Seyler: Med.-Chem. Untersuchungen, p. 366 (1868). 



