OCTOUER 24, 1695J 



NA TURE 



625 



lie had acquired by his study of the spectrum of blood, 

 thougli the full lij^ht which it was destined to throw- 

 on the function of the blood-colouring matter was only 

 recognised when Stokes publislied his paper " On the 

 Reduction and Oxidation of the Colouring-matter of the 

 IJlood." Having described the beautiful experiments which 

 he had performed after becoming acquainted with Hoppe's 

 paper on the blood spectrum, Stokes stated the con- 

 clusions, which might legitimately be drawn from them 

 in the following words : "We may infer from the facts 

 above mentioned that the colouring-matter of blood, 

 like indigo, is capable of existing in two states of oxi- 

 dation, distinguishable by a difference of colour and a 

 fundamental difference in the action of the spectrum. 

 It may be made to pass from the more to the less oxi- 

 dised state by the action of suitable reducing agtnts, and 

 recovers its oxygen by absorption from the air." ■ 



The new facts acquired by the combined use of 

 chemical and optical methods at once explained a large 

 number of facts. Hoppe-Seyler showed that carbonic 

 oxide blood was distinguished from normal blood in being 

 unacted upon by reducing agents, and thus placed a 

 valuable test in the hands of the medical jurist called 

 upon to investigate cases of death by charcoal fumes.- 

 The explanation of the facts discovered by Claude 

 Bernard and by Lothar .Meyer was obvious — to wit, that 

 carbonic oxide forms a compound with the blood-colour- 

 ing matter, more stable than the oxygen compound, and 

 in which apparently one molecule of CO has replaced O.,. 



With the resources of spectrum analysis to aid him, 

 Hoppe now devoted himself with energy to the inves- 

 tigation of the blood-colouring matter (which he named 

 Haemoglobin '), showing how to separate and purify it 

 by repeated crystallisation, determining its composition, 

 studying personally, and, with the aid of his pupil 

 Dybkowsky, its combinations with oxygen and with car- 

 bonic oxide, examining its products of decomposition, and 

 showing its probable connections with certain other 

 animal colouring matters.^ 



It would be impossible in this place to comment in 

 detail on all Hoppe-.Seyler's contributions to the chemistry 

 of the blood-colouring matter ; these constitute his 

 highest claim to distinction, and will ever cause him to 

 be remembered as having contributed most largely to 

 our knowledge of the manner in which the respiratory 

 exchanges of animals are effected. 



Until he removed from Berlin to Tiiliingen, and for 

 some time after, Hoppe-.Seyler published his researches 

 for the most part in Virchow's ^n/m', some of his papers 

 appearing, however, in Fresenius' Zei/si/ir/ft, in the 

 Aiina/c/t d. ChcDiic und Pliarinacic, and in the Bericlitc of 

 the Chemical .Society of Berlin. In 1866, however, he 

 commenced the pul)lication of the collected papers issuing 

 from his laboratory, under the title of " Med.-Chemische 

 Untersuchungcn.'''' Four parts of this publication 

 appeared, the last in 1 87 1. 



Hoppc-Scy/ct's IVork in Strailmrg, 1S72-1895. 



A proper estimate of Hoppe-Seyler's work would 

 necessitate a careful review of the fine researches pub- 

 lished by his pupils, for there can be no doubt that in his 



1 Prof. Stokes, F.R.S., " On the Reduction .md Oxidation of the Colour- 

 ing-matter of the Blood." Proceedings of the Royal Society, vol. xiii. 

 (1864) p. 357, paragraph 8. 



- Hoppe-Seyler, " Erkennung der Vergiftung mit Kohlenoxyd." Fre- 

 senius' Zeitsckrtft, vol. iii. (1864) p. 439. Phitoso/fhical Magazine, vol. .\.\.v. 

 {1B65) p. 456. 



■* " Um Vcrvvechsclungen zu vermeiden nenne ich den BUitfabstoff 

 Hiimatoglobulin odcr Hiimoglobin," Virchow's Archiv, vol. xxix. (1864) p. 



SIS- 



•* Hoppe-Seylcr's " lieitr.ige zur Kenntuiss des Blutes des Menschen und 

 der Wirhclthiere" ; " Med-Cheni. Untersuchungcn,"' pp. 160-214, 366.385, 

 523-550; *'Zur Chemie des Blutes und seiner Bestandthede," ititi., pp. 

 39-300 ; Dybkowsky, " Kinigc Bcstiinmungen iiber die Quantit.-it des 

 init dem Hiimoglobinlose gebundcnen Sauersloffs," ibiii., p. 1 17-132. 



t» " Medicinisch-Chcmische Untersuchungen aus dem Laboratorium ftir 

 -angewandlc Chemie zu Tubingen herausgcgeben, von Dr. Felix Hoppe- 

 Seyler." Berlin, 1866. 



NO. 1356, VOL. 52] 



case, as in that of many of the most distinguished scien- 

 tific men of Oermany, the work of the master has often 

 been credited to the pupil under whose name it has 

 appeared. It is obvious, however, that it would be 

 impossible, within the limits of such an article as the 

 present one, to give an account, however brief, of the 

 succession of valuable papers which issued from the 

 new Physiologico-Chemical Institute of Strasburg. Two 

 events in Hoppe-Seyler's scientific life in Strasburg can- 

 not, however, be passed over, viz. the publication of his 

 " Text-Book of Physiological Chemistry," and the founda- 

 tion of the Zcitschrifl fiir Physiologische Chemie. The 

 firstpartof the "Text-Book of Physiological Chemistr)'" 

 appeared in 1877, the second in 1878, the third in 1879, 

 and the fourth in 1881. This work is of interest as giving 

 Hoppe-Seyler's views of the chemical processes of the 

 body ; yet it neither achieved nor merited great success. 

 Devoted though he was to work by which he unquestion- 

 ably did much to advance both physiology and pathology, 

 Hoppe-Seyler was essentially a chemist rather than a 

 biologist ; and when, as in his systematic treatise, he left 

 chemical, to speculate on biological, questions, his weak 

 points became verj- obvious. 



This account of Hoppe-Seyler's work must close with a 

 reference to the great service which he rendered to our 

 branch of science by founding; in 1877-78, the Zcituhrift 

 fiir Physiologische Chemie. From the first number to the 

 last this periodical has maintained a high standard, and, 

 besides containing the results of all the work done in the 

 Strasburg Laborator)', it has received contributions from 

 nearly all the prominent workers in physiological 

 chemistry. In succession to Hoppe-.Seyler, Professors 

 Baumann and Kossel are, it is understood, to be the 

 future editors of this journal. .ARTHUR GamgeeJ 



NOTES. 



Wf. are informed that a biography of Prof. Huxley is being 

 prepared by his son, Mr. Leonard Huxley, who will be greatly 

 obliged if those who possess letters or other documents of interest 

 will forward thein to him at Charterhouse, Godalming. They 

 will be carefully returned after being copied. 



Thf. Committee of the Pasteur Institute have appointed Dr. 

 Duclaux, formerly sub-director, to succeed AL Pasteur as 

 director, and Dr. Roux to be sub-director of the Institute. 



We understand that the final interment of M. Pasteur in the 

 J'asteur Institute will not take place on Friday, as had been 

 intended, because the vault and part of the sculpture cannot be 

 ready in time. 



The centenar}' celebrations of the Institute of France com- 

 menced as we went to press yesterday, and will terminate on 

 Saturday by a visit to the fine chateau of Chantilly, where the 

 associates and members will be received by the Due d'.-Kumale. 

 An account of the foundation and membership of the Institute 

 appeared in these columns a few weeks ago, and we hope to give 

 in our next issue a full description of the ceremonies now taking 

 place. 



A BRONZE portrait bust of Dr. Robeil Brown was unveiled on 

 Friday in his native town, Montrose, Forfarshire at a reception 

 held by the Provost, magistrates, and town council of Montrose. 

 Beneath the bust is a tablet, with the following inscription : — 

 "Robert Brown, D.C.L. O.xon., LL.D. Edinburgh, F.R.S. 

 London, President of the Linnean Society, Member of the In- 

 stitute of France. Born in this house 21st December, 1773; 

 died in London loth June, 1858. ' Bolanicorum facile princeps,' 

 Alex. \on Humboldt.'" .-\ large number of distinguished 

 botanists from all parts of the kingdom were present. 



