THE CHEMISTRY OF THE TISSUES AND ORGANS. 



Another point in connection with the spleen relates to the question 

 whether or not proteoses or peptones are obtainable from it ; this is im- 

 portant, because Sidney Martin l has found that the proteoses of diseases 

 (diphtheria, tetanus, etc.) accumulate in the spleen, v. Jaksch 2 states 

 that normal spleen contains " peptone " ; but the careful work of Gourlay, 

 in which he used Devoto's ammonium sulphate method and the alcohol 

 method failed to detect any. 



Lymphatic glands. The capsule yields gelatin and mucin like 

 connective tissue structures generally. The reticular tissue yields 

 reticulin (see p. 72) and gelatin (see p. 70). The chemistry of the cells 

 has been already described (p. 81). 



In a lymphatic gland, about two-thirds are water, the remainder 

 solids. The tissue is alkaline cluing life, and turns acid, clue to the 

 development of sarcolactic acid, after death. 3 



Thymus. This is also principally lymphoid tissue, and the above 

 remarks apply equally well to it. Nothing special is known of the 

 chemistry of the concentric corpuscles. The presence of extractives 

 like xanthine and hypoxanthine has been noted by Scherer, Gorup- 

 Besanez, Frerichs, Stadeler, etc., whose writings have been already 

 referred to. Schindler 4 has estimated the " nuclein or alloxuric bases " 

 (see p. 67) obtainable from the thymus of the calf, with the following 

 results : 



The high percentage of adenine is noteworthy. Like the other 

 organs already described, the reaction, alkaline during life, becomes 

 rapidly acid after death. The acid is sarcolactic acid. 5 



The thyroid. This organ is also alkaline during life, but becomes 

 acid after death ; this is due to sarcolactic acid (Moscatelli). 



Various extractives (fatty acids, xanthine, hypoxanthine, etc.) have 

 been found in it by Gorup-Besanez, Scherer, Frerichs. and Stadeler. 

 Inosite has been found by Frankell 6 and by Tambach. 7 The main 

 constituents of the thyroid, however, are proteids, and a proteid-like 

 substance from the colloid material in the acini. 



Oidtmann found in the adult thyroid, 82'24 water, 17'66 organic and 

 O'l inorganic material per cent. In an infant's thyroid the numbers 

 were 77*21, 22'35, and 044 respectively. 



The importance of the chemistry of the thyroid arises from the fact that 

 the administration of thyroid extracts has been attended with curative 

 results in cases where the thyroid is absent, or no longer forms the 

 internal secretion which is believed to be necessary for the nutrition of 

 the nervous system. 



1 Goulstonian Lectures, Brit. Mcd. Joum., London, March 1892. 



2 Ztschr.f. physiol. Chem., Strassburg, 1892, Bd. xvi. S. 243. 



3 Hirschler, Ibid., Bd. xi. S. 41. 



4 Ibid., Bd. xiii. S. 438. 



5 Moscatelli, ibid., Bd. xii. S. 416. 



6 Wicn. Tried. BL, 1895, No. 48 ; 1896, Nos. 13, 14, 15. 

 1 Pharm. Centr.-BL, Leipzig, 1896, Bd. iv. S. 119. 



