(}\inr/.i\(! i:\'/.y\ii:H 75 



undergoes self-digestion, which speaks against Sjjitzer's contention that 

 oxidase is a nucleoprotein.'-''* JSelilesinger '-'''' found that it is less in 

 amount in livers of children dead from gastro-iutestinal diseases than 

 in normal livers, as also did Briining.^ I am inclined to believe that 

 fatty metamorphosis, wlien brought about by poisons, is often due 

 to inhibition of the oxidizing enzymes (v. fatty metamorphosis), 

 although I found that livers the seat of the most profound fatty de- 

 generation showed no evident impairment of their power to oxidize 

 xanthine and uric acid.- Buxton^ failed to find in tumors any en- 

 zyme giving the guaiac test alone, but found enzymes that did so in 

 the presence of HgOg (peroxidases). Catalase was present, but no 

 very positive reactions for oxidizing enzymes were obtained by the 

 indo-phenol reaction, the hydrochiuon reaction, or with tyrosine for 

 tyrosianase. v. Fiirth and Jerusalem * have found evidence tliat the 

 melanin of melanotic tumors of horses is produced by tyrosinase. 

 Peroxidase has been demonstrated in the granules of pus cells 

 iFisclieP). 



Meyer ® found that leucocytes, whether from pus or leukemic or 

 pneumonic blood, contained a substance oxidizing guaiac directly, 

 without the presence of H^O,, which is not liberated until the cells 

 are destroyed. By microchemical reactions oxidases have been found 

 present in the myelocytes and nucleated erythrocj'tes in leukemia, be- 

 ing absent from the polynuclear cells.' The observation of Natalie 

 Sieber * that oxidases of the blood and of vegetable origin destroy 

 diphtheria toxin rapidly, and also tetanus toxin and ricin, has been 

 confirmed by Loewenstein as far as destruction by peroxide, with or 

 without the presence of catalase, is concerned. Oxidation is un- 

 doubtedly an important process in defending the bod}' against other 

 forms of poisons, including the so-called ' ' fatigue toxins, ' ' and Battelli 

 and Stern consider that all the oxidizing enzymes so far definitely 

 identified are concerned only in protective processes. (See Chapter 

 vii). Schmidt" has found that by oxidation certain poisonous mor- 

 phin derivatives are rendered non-poisonous by liver extracts. Oxalic 

 acid and poisonous fatty acids are also oxidized into harmless sub- 

 stances; phosphorus and sulphur are oxidized into their acids, which 



9s Duccheschi and Almagia (Arch. ital. Biol., 1903 (39), 29) also found tlie 

 aldeliydase in livers of phosphorus poisoning usually no less abundant tlian in 

 normal livers. 



9'J Hofmeister's Beitr., 1903 (4), 87. 



iMonat. f. Kinderheilk., 1903 (2), 129. 



2. Tour. Exper. Med., 1910 (12), 607. 



3. Jour. Med. Research, 1903 (9), 356. 



4 Hofmeister's Beitr., 1907 (10), 131. 



5\Vien. klin. Woch., 1910 (23), 1557. 



sMiinch, med. Woch., 1903 (50), 1489. 



7 Fiessinger and Roudowska, Arch, de med. exper., 1912 (24), 585. 



sZeit. physiol. Chem., 1901 (32), 573. 



9 Dissertation, Heidelberg, 1901. 



