346 CHYLE, LYMPH, TRANSUDATES AND EXUDATES. 



or protease (HOFMEISTER 1 ). It is very remarkable that no nucleo- 

 histone or histone has been detected in the pus-cells, although histone 

 occurs in the cells of the lymph glands. 



There are also found in the protoplasm of the pus-cells, besides the 

 proteins, lecithin, cholesterin, glucothionic acid, 2 purine bodies, fat, and soaps. 

 HOPPE-SEYLER has found cerebrin, a decomposition product of a pro- 

 tagon-like substance, in pus (see Chapter XII). KOSSEL and FREYTAG 2 

 have isolated from pus two substances, pyosin and pyogenin, which 

 belong to the cerebrin group (see Chapter XII). HOPPE-SEYLER 4 

 claims that glycogen appears only in the living, contractile white blood-cells 

 and not in the dead pus-corpuscles. Several other investigators have 

 nevertheless found glycogen in pus. The cell-nucleus contains nuclein 

 and nucleoproteins. 



In regard to the occurrence of enzymes in the pus-cells it must be 

 remarked that neither thrombin nor prothrombin is found therein, 

 although these bodies are generally considered as being derived from 

 the leucocytes, and also obtainable from the thymus leucocytes. The 

 occurrence in the pus-cells, besides catalases and oxidases, of a proteolytic 

 enzyme, is of great interest. It is not only important for the intracellular 

 digestion and for the amount of proteoses in the pus-cell, but also for 

 the solution of the fibrin clot and pneumonic infiltrations (FR. MULLER, 

 O. SIMONS). 



The mineral constituents of the pus-corpuscles are potassium, sodium, 

 calcium, magnesium, and iron. A part of the alkalies exists as chlorides, 

 and the remainder, as well as the chief part of the other bases, exists 

 as phosphates. 



The quantitative composition of the pus-cells from the analyses of 

 HOPPE-SEYLER is as follows, in parts per 1000 of the dried substance: 



i. ii. 



Proteins 137 .62 1 



Nuclein. 342 . 57 [ 685.85 673 .69 



Insoluble bodies 205 . 66 J 



Lecithin \ t ,0 oo 75 . 64 



Fat / 143<83 75.00 



Cholesterin 74.00 72.83 



Cerebrin 51 . 99 \ 1 no A 



Extractive bodies 44.33 / 



1 Miescher in Hoppe-Seyler's Med.-chem. Untersuch., 441; Hofmeister, Zeitschr. f. 

 physiol. Chem., 4. 



2 Mandel and Levene, Bioch. Zeitschr., 4. 



3 Zeitschr. f. physiol. Chem., 17, 452. 



4 Hoppe-Seyler, Physiol. Chem., 790. 



5 Fr. Muller, Verhandl. Nat. Gesellsch. zu Basel, 1901; O. Simon, Deutsch. Arch, 

 f. klin. Med., 70. 



