372 



COLLOIDS IN BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 



prolonged injection of hydrosols the red blood corpuscles and the 

 hemoglobin are somewhat increased, but there is no noticeable in- 

 crease of leucocytes. Silver, copper, manganese and mercury prove 

 most active; platinum, palladium, gold and nickel are much weaker. 

 Identical results are obtained with small doses of the salts of these metals. 



This does not completely accord with the results of O. GROS and 

 J. M. O'CONNOR,* who observed an immediate increase of the polynu- 

 clear leucocytes just as occurs after the introduction of any other 

 foreign substances. 



Very noteworthy is the observation of FILIPPI, that colloidal silver, 

 copper and mercury introduced into the circulation markedly in- 

 crease phagocytosis. 



The following table obtained with slightly different experimental 

 conditions on rabbits illustrates this: 



PHAGOCYTOSIS OF ALEURON AND CARMINE. 



LE FEVRE DE ARRIC found, on the contrary, that this assumption 

 could not be generalized. In experiments with silver hydrosol 

 (electrargol) he found in guinea-pigs an increase in the phagocytic 

 activity for colon and typhoid bacilli; in rabbits there was a diminu- 

 tion for typhoid bacilli. In both guinea-pigs and rabbits there was 

 an unfavorable effect on the phagocytosis of pyocyaneus and staphylo- 

 cocci. 



Metabolism. 



Naturally, the processes occurring in the living organism are far 

 more complicated than in the individual organ elements or in the 

 dead organ. However, since there were obtained from the study of 

 autolysis viewpoints for the action of hydrosols on the disintegration 

 of nitrogenous constituents, the investigation of the nitrogen change 

 in the living organism offered a prospect of profitable study (M. 

 ASCOLI* and G. IzAR,* 1 FILIPPI and RODOLICO). 



For this purpose bitches were fed entirely on bread made from 

 wheat or rye flour. The total nitrogen in the feces was determined, 

 and in the urine the total nitrogen, the urea nitrogen and the uric acid. 

 In a previous series of experiments with men, like determinations were 

 made (excepting of the N of the feces) as in the experiments under- 

 taken on rabbits by E. FILIPPI and RODOLICO. Metal hydrosols were 

 administered intravenously. The results were concordant. 



