GLYCOGEN. 581 



is precipitated by sugar of lead, this filtrate boiled with basic lead acetate 

 and allowed to stand 24-48 hours. The precipitate thus obtained, 

 which contains all the inosite, is decomposed in water by H^S. The 

 filtrate is strongly concentrated, treated with 2-4 vols. hot alcohol, and 

 the liquid removed as soon as possible from the tough or flaky masses 

 which ordinarily separate. If no crystals separate from the liquid within 

 twenty-four hours, then treat with ether until the liquid has a milky 

 appearance and allow it to stand. In the presence of a sufficient quantity 

 of ether, crystals of inosite separate within twenty-four hours. The 

 crystals thus obtained, as also those which are directly obtained from the 

 alcoholic solution, are recrystallized by redissolving in very little boiling 

 water and adding 2-4 yols. of alcohol. MEILLERE 1 and others have 

 suggested modifications in the methods for detecting and quantitatively 

 estimating inosite. 



Scyllite is a body which is isomeric with inosite, according to JOH. MULLER,* 

 and which was found long ago in the kidneys, liver and spleen of Plagiostomata 

 and also in the plant kingdom as cocosite and quercinite. Scyllite crystallizes 

 in shining prisms, is soluble in water 1:100 at 18 C., is similar to inosite in its 

 reactions, but has a much higher melting-point, namely about 360 C. From 

 the adductor muscles of the Mytilus JANSSEN 3 has isolated a substance, called 

 mytilite which is crystalline, soluble with , difficulty in cold water and readily sol- 

 uble in hot water, and having the formula C6Hi 2 5 .2H 2 0. He claims that it is 

 stereisometric with the alcohol quercite. 



Glycogen is a constant constituent of the living muscle, while it may 

 be absent in the dead muscle. The quantity of glycogen varies in the 

 different muscles of the same animal and according to MAIGNON this 

 is not only true for the same muscles in both halves of the body but also 

 for different parts of the same muscle. BOHM found 10 p. m. glycogen 

 in the muscles of cats, and moreover he found a smaller amount in the 

 muscles of the extremities than in those of the rump. MOSCATI found an 

 average of 4 p. m. in human muscles, and ScnoNDORFF 4 has found a 

 maximum of 37.2 p. m. in the dog-muscle. Reports as to the quantity 

 of glycogen in the heart are conflicting; although the heart is considered 

 as somewhat poorer in glycogen than the other muscles, still this difference 

 is not very great, and can be explained by the ready disappearance of 

 glycogen from the heart after death, as well as after starvation and 

 after strong work (BORUTTAU, JENSEN 5 ). Work and food have a great 

 influence upon the quantity of glycogen. BOHM found 1-4 p. m. 

 glycogen in the muscles of fasting animals, and 7-10 p. m. after partak- 



1 Compt. rend. soc. biol., 60, and Journ. d. Chim. et Pharm. (6), 24; see also 

 Starkenstein, Zeitschr. f. exp. Path. u. Ther., 5. 



2 Ber. d. d. chem. Gesellsch., 40. 



3 Zeitschr. f. physiol. Chem., 85. 



4 Maignon, Journ. de physiol. et d. path. 10 Bohm, Pfliiger's Arch., 23, 44; Schon- 

 dorff, ibid., 99; Moscati, Hofmeister's Beitrage, 10. 



6 Boruttau, Zeitschr. f. physiol. Chem., 18; Jensen, ibid., 35. 



