354 CHYLE, LYMPH, TRANSUDATES AND EXUDATES. 



uric acid or purine bases according to the experimental conditions. 

 This behavior is explained by the above-mentioned investigations of 

 BURIAN, SCHITTENHELM, JONES, and others on the enzymotic formation 

 of uric-acid and the deamidization of the purine bodies, and a relation 

 between the spleen and uric-acid formation is indisputable. Still we 

 cannot say that the spleen shows a special relation to the uric-acid 

 formation as compared with other organs (see Chapter XV). 



The spleen has the same property as the liver of retaining foreign 

 bodies, metals and metalloids. 



The Thyroid Gland. The nature of the different protein substances 

 occurring in the thyroid gland has not been sufficiently studied, but at 

 present, through the researches of OSWALD, there are known at least two 

 bodies which are constituents of the so-called secretion of the glands. 

 One of these, iodotkyreoglobulin, behaves like a globulin, while the other 

 is a nucleoprotein (see also GouFLAY 1 ). The iodine present in the gland 

 occurs chiefly in the first body, while the arsenic, which has been shown 

 to be a normal constituent by GAUTIER and BERTRAND, 2 seems to be 

 related to the nuclein substances. 



According to OSWALD the iodothyreoglobulin occurs only in those 

 glands which contain colloid, while the colloid-free glands, the parenchyma- 

 tous goitre, and the glands of the new-born contain thyreoglobulin free 

 from iodine. The thyreoglobulin first becomes iodized into iodothyreo- 

 globulin on passing from the follicle-cells. Besides these mentioned 

 bodies leucine, xanthine, hypoxanthine, choline, 3 iodofhyrine, lactic and 

 succinic acids occur in the thyreoidea. OIDTMANN 4 found in the thyroid 

 gland of an old woman 822.4 p. m. water, 176.6 p. m. organic and 0.9 

 p. m. inorganic substances. He found 772.1 p. m. water, 223.5 p. m. 

 organic and 4.4 p. m. inorganic substances in an infant two weeks old. 



In " STRUMA CYSTIC A " HoFPE-SEYLER found hardly any protein in the smaller 

 glandular vessels, but an excess of mucin, while in the larger he found a great 

 deal of protein, 70-80 p. m. 5 Cholesterin is regularly found in such cysts, some- 

 times in such large quantities that the entire contents form a thick mass of cho- 

 lesterin plates. Crystals of calcium oxalate also occur frequently. The contents 

 of the struma cysts are sometimes of a brown color, due to decomposed coloring- 

 matter, methcemoglobin (and haBmatin?). Bile-coloring matters have also been 

 found in such cysts. (In regard to the paralbumins and colloids which have been 

 found in struma cysts and colloid degeneration, see Chapter XIII). 



1 Gourlay, Journ. of Physiol., 16; Oswald, Zeitschr. f. physiol. Chem., 32, and 

 Biochem. Centralbl., 1, 429. 



2 Gautier, Compt. rend., 129. See also ibid., 130, 131, 134, 135; Bertrand, ibid., 

 134, 135. 



3 v. Fiirth and Schwarz, Pfliiger's Arch., 124. 

 4 1. c., 732. 



5 Physiol. Chem., p. 721. 



