CHEMICAL BASIS OF THE AMIMAL BODY. 17 



chief and rhuracteri>t ic proteid of muscles (mu>ch>-tibrin). Kiihue, 

 li..\vcvi-r. .-hewed in his famous researches on muscle-plasma 1 that its 

 formation i> dm; to tin- convt-r>ive action of tlie acid on niyo>in. 



,"H-ii(ii>n. r>y_t,he action of O'l ]).c. hydrochloric nejd, on 

 yuj^jimisin (see belowY or ^treatment of 'finely chopped and 

 thoroutfhlif washed muscle substanpe r preferably from the frog, 

 with the same acid. It may he ) ir^'ciyitated from its solution by^ 

 , and freed froni^ salts by washing, but in this case 



^ 



can- must be exercised as toThe extent of the washing, sine- 

 tonin is distinctly altered by the prolonged action of water, espe- 

 cially as regards its solubility in dilute acid and linie-\s. 



The reactions specially characteristic of this substance and its 

 distinction from other forms of acid-albumin and from alkali- 

 albumin are indicated in the following statements. 8 



1. It is soluble in, Tune-water and this solution is coagulated. 

 though incompletely, by boiling (Kiihne). 



I*. K is insoluble in acid phosphate_Qf_SDda (NaH,PO 4 ) ; other 

 aeid-alhumius are soHilde (Morner). In presence of this salt it 

 does not pass into solution on the addition of alkali until the 

 whole of the aeid phosphate has been converted into the neutral 

 I !'<>,). In this respect it differs from alkali-albumin, whieh 

 is soluble under tlie same conditions lonrTefore the emiveixioii nf 

 tlu' acid into the neutral phosphate is complete. 



3. It is soluble in dilute sodium carbonate. 



4. When precipitated from its acid solution by neutralisation 

 the_preeipitate is more gelatinous than that of the other aqd- 

 albumins, and less readily soluble in alkalis (Morner). 



5. It- >]"-eific rotatory power when dissolved in dilute hydro- 

 chloric acid or sodium carbonate is independent of the concent ra- 

 tion. and is given as ( a ) u = 72 (Hoppe-Seyler). 



Syiitonin lia> I ..... n stated to l>c ca|.:il.l<- of r.-<'.ni\ i-r.-i-'ii into m\ 

 or some ^'lolniliii clo>cly reM-iiililing it. by .-ohition in lim. 

 <lition of ;imnionium chloride (" an amount just >h..rt of >at nrat ion. 

 and m-utrali>atimi \vitli acetic acid. Tin- nnitral fluid thus linally 

 obtaiiii'd is allowed to full drop by dn-p into di.-till 

 which a tine concilium gradually 



Hoppr-S.-ylcr .states tliat by similar tn-atnn-nt all form- of acid-albu- 

 min may be converted into ^lobulins resembling myosin.' 



/'i-otodatma, I - 15. 



- Ki.l ..... , /,..-. dL .\nh.f. Phynot. Jhrg. 1881, a 196. 



8 Seo M'TIKT, /<?. fit. 



A I):nil.-w>ky. '/.I. /: i'h V si.J. ri,,m. IM. N ! - - I ) N. 158. 



'- n,ib,-h. ,i tl iss.-j), s. aai. 



