454 CHEMISTRY OF THE PROTEIDS CHAP. 



may be simply the framework and the protective medium for the living 

 matter proper." 



The author is at a complete loss as to Cohnheim's meaning, for 

 what we call life is simply the manifestation of special chemical com- 

 pounds, and if we see microscopically that every manifestation of 

 metabolism is accompanied by enormous changes in the nucleo-proteids, 

 and that the rapidity with which nucleo-proteids or the nuclear 

 basophil chromatin reacts to food substances is directly proportional 

 to the ease with which the food is absorbed (Lily Huie, 1 working with 

 the author), we cannot arrive at any other conclusion but that the 

 nucleo-proteids are the agencies by which amino-acids are built up into 

 the cell-plasm, as already emphasised in the introduction. 



(c) The Individual Nucleo-Proteids and Nucleic Acids 



1 . Nucleo-Proteids from the- Heads of the Spermatozoa 



The spermatozoa of many fish, after the removal of ether-soluble 

 substances, consist of 96 per cent of protamin-nucleates or of histone- 

 nucleates, the other albumins being only present in traces. A more 

 detailed account has already been given on pp. 440 and 441 whilst 

 discussing the protamins and histones. The composition of the 

 individual nucleic acids is given on p. 442. Miescher and Schmiede- 

 berg 2 found in the spermatic fluid of the salmon 



60 '50 per cent nucleic acid 

 3 5 '5 6 per cent protamin. 



Schmiedeberg calculates from these figures an acid salt built up of 

 ten molecules of protamin and eleven molecules of nucleic acid. 



Clupeiri nucleate, prepared from the spermatozoa of the herring, 

 possesses, according to Ma thews, 3 the following percentage com- 

 position 



C41-2 H 5-75 N 21-06 P 6*07 25'92 



and is, according to him, a neutral salt. 



The spermatozoa of the sea-urchin Arbacia pustulosa consist, apart 

 from lecithin, etc., essentially of a nucleic acid in combination with 

 arbacin, which is a histone. 4 The spermatozoa of the ox have been 



1 L. H. Huie, Quart. Journ. of Micros. Science, 39 387 (1896-97), and 42. 203 

 (1899). 



2 F. Miescher, ' Milt of Salmon,' in the posthumous papers edited by 0. Schmiede- 

 berg, Arch.f. experiment. Path, und Pharm. 37. 1 (1896). 



a A. Mathews, Zeitschr.f. physiol. Chem. 23. 399 (1897). 

 4 A. Mathews, ibid. 23. 399 (1897). 



