THE LEUCOCYTES IN ORGANIC FUNCTIONS. 695 



In their first article on the "Metabolism of Nucleins" 26 

 these investigators say, in the course of a review of the metabo- 

 lism of the nucleins under physiological conditions: "When 

 nucleins are taken by the mouth, the first change that they 

 undergo in the alimentary tract is a simple solvent one in the 

 stomach, and that only to a very slight degree. They are never 

 split up into their constituents. They are easily broken up, 

 however, by the pancreatic secretion 2 " 1 into an organic phos- 

 phorus-holding acid (not nucleic acid) and albumose or pep- 

 tone. The important points to notice are that the phosphorus 

 is still in organic combination, and that neither ortho- nor 

 meta- phosphoric acid is so formed. It is probable that the 

 organic phosphorus-holding acid so formed is similar to thymic 

 acid. It forms soluble compounds with albumose and peptone, 

 and is, in all probability, so absorbed. After absorption the 

 bodies derived from the nucleins cause a well-marked leuco- 

 cytosis, and the excretion of phosphoric acid in the urine is 

 increased. Whether a hypoleucocytosis always precedes the 

 hyperleucocytosis is difficult to say. Almost all the writers on 

 this subject have emphasized the fact that, on giving nucleins 

 by the mouth, the phosphoric-acid excretion in the urine is 

 increased; but they have omitted to show that this excretion 

 cannot ~be accounted for by the phosphorus taken in the form 

 of nucleins, there being really more phosphorus excreted by 

 the kidneys than was present in the original nucleins." 



Again, as a result of a series of experiments, Milroy and 

 Malcolm are led to the following conclusions among others: 

 "1. The digestion products of nuclein-holding tissues, nuclein 

 and nucleic acid, cause, on being absorbed, a temporary leuco- 

 cytosis, which is accompanied by a rise in the P 2 5 excretion 

 above that derivable from the absorbed phosphorus. These 

 alterations are especially well marked after giving nucleic acid. 

 2. The alloxuric bodies are excreted in excess, after nucleic acid 

 has been given, and in all probability also after large doses of 

 nuclear-holding tissues or nucleins, although in our experi- 

 ments, owing to the small amount of thymus taken, there was 

 no distinct increase. 3. The uric-acid excretion after nucleic 



26 Milroy and Malcolm: Journal of Physiology, vol. xxiii, No. 3, July 26, 1898. 



27 All italics are our own. 



