x H^IMATIN 521 



form, washing the latter thoroughly with water, adding some 5 per 

 cent caustic soda, and shaking gently, gave, when the chloroform had 

 completely separated from the aqueous alkali, the following absorption- 

 bands : 



a A617-5 A612 

 A573-5 A567-5 pale 

 A567-5 A561 dark 

 y A539 A527-5 

 8 A512-5 A492-5 



By a slow distillation of hsematin with a large excess of zinc dust 

 Milroy obtained a more complete reduction ; the yellow oil obtained 

 gave a vapour which, with a pine-wood strip dipped into hyrochloric 

 acid showed the red pyrrol-reaction, but the colour reactions for pyrrol 

 with isatine and quinine gave negative results. 



In alkaline solutions hsematin is red in thick layers, and greenish 

 in thin layers ; in acid solutions it appears brown. The spectrum of 

 acid haBmatin resembles that of acid methsemoglobin. The band in the 

 red lies, however, nearer the red end, according to Menzies 1 at A650, 

 and does not reach the C-line according to Harnack. 2 The second 

 broad band lies between b and F, and the band in the violet, accord- 

 ing to Gam gee, 3 resembles that of methaemoglobin, for it is a broad, 

 intense band between h and L, which in dilute solutions extends from 

 H to K, and in strong solutions from M into the ultra-violet. In 

 alkaline solutions it only shows one band in the yellow, which com- 

 mences half-way between C and D and then extends beyond D. There 

 is no distinct band in the violet, as the whole of the violet becomes 

 extinguished (Gamgee). 



Pure haematin in alkaline solutions cannot be reduced by 

 ammonium sulphide or other weak reducing agents (Hoppe-Seyler 

 and Gamgee), 4 but in the presence of albumin and similar foreign 

 bodies, such as ethylamine, aniline, glycocoll, taurine (Bertin Sans 

 and Montessier), 5 it is changed into a substance called 'reduced 

 hsematin,' which shows the same absorption-spectrum as does haemo- 

 chromogen, a ferro-compound obtained by Hoppe-Seyler on adding 

 alkalies or acids to a solution of reduced haemoglobin in the absence 

 of all oxygen. 



1 J. A. Menzies, Journ. of Physiol. 17- 415 (1895). 



2 E. Harnack, Zeitschr. f. physiol Chem. 26. 558 (1899). 

 3 A. Gamgee, Zeitschr. f. BioL 34. 505 (1896). 



4 A. Gamgee, Schdfer's Textbook of Physiol. 1. 251, 252 (1898). 



5 Bertin Sans and Montessier, Compt. Rend. 1880. 



