274 



INFLAMMATION 



33.6 per cent, of glucosamin when split with HCl, which gives an in- 

 dex of the quantity of mucin; this is highest in chronic bronchitis and 

 lowest in pneumonia and phthisis. Kossel found 0.1-0.33 gm. of 

 nucleins in the sputum dailJ^ 



The following table by Bokay (taken from Ott) gives the propor- 

 tion of the organic constituents of sputum in parts per thousand: 



Table III 



Bronchitis 



in 



typhoid 



Fibroid 

 phthisis 



Phthisis, 



early in 



apex 



Phthisis, [ Phthisis, Phthisis, 

 cavities \ advanced ! advanced 



Fatty acids as fat 

 Free fatty acids . . 



Soaps 



Cholesterol 



Lecithin 



Nuclein 



Protein 



0.224 



trace 



traces 



traces 



traces 



traces 



0.898 



0.845 



0.184 



0.380 



0.4 



traces 



0.102 



2.040 



0.462 

 0.521 

 0.430 

 1.617 

 1.543 



2.468 3.468 



0.370 

 0.537 

 0.172 



4.430 



0.307 

 0.516 

 1.160 

 1.165 

 0.260 

 3.455 



9.725 

 0.902 

 3.973 

 0.141 

 1.245 

 0.489 

 5.115 



On account of the digestion of the exudates by the leucocj'tes, 

 sputum contains proteoses, peptones, and amino-acids, generally in 

 proportion to the richness of the exudate in leucocytes; they are, 

 therefore, most abundant in pneumonia. Simon^^ found considerable 

 albumose in phthisical sputum, but no nucleohiston or free histon. 

 In febrile cases of tuberculosis the amount of albumose may exceed 

 the coagulable albumen, which rarely exceeds one per cent, of the 

 moist weight. ^^ Staffregen, however, could find no true peptone in 

 phthisical sputum, but Stadelmann^^ found that such sputum con- 

 tained enzymes hydrolyzing fibrin, and attributed this largely to 

 bacteria. Probably most of the enzymes present in sputum come 

 from the leucocytes. In the early stage of pneumonia the sputum 

 has no proteolytic action, presumably because inhibited by the large 

 amount of serum present; but with resolution active proteolytic prop- 

 erties appear (Bittorf).^'' In tuberculosis sputum the tryptic and 

 antitryptic properties fluctuate, and lipase is absent (Eiselt).-^ Pneu- 

 monic sputum before the crisis has but slight action on peptids, but 

 acquires marked peptolytic activity thereafter.-'- Most sputa con- 

 tain enzymes spHtting casein and polypeptids.-^ Sputum may 

 contain indole, derived either from the putrefying proteins or excreted 

 from the blood. ^^ 



1' Arch. exp. Path. u. Pharm., 1903 (49), 449. 



'« Prorok, Miinch. med. Woch., 1909 (56), 2053. 



i» Zeit. klin. Med., 1889 (10). 128. 



" Deut. Arch. klin. Med., 1907 (91), 212. 



2' Zeit. klin. Med., 1912 (75), 91. 



" Abderhalden, Zeit. phvsiol. Chem., 1912 (78), 344. 



" Maliwa, Deut. Arch. klin. Med., 1914 (115), 407. 



" Binda and Cassarini, Gaz. Med. Ital., 1913 (64), 461. 



I 



