ON THE MICRO-CHEMISTRY OF CELLS. 4d.7 



On the Nature of Hcemosiderin. — Dr, E. N. Coutts, under Professor 

 Mackenzie's direction, investigated the composition of hfemosiderin from 

 a micro-chemical point of view and ascertained a number of interesting 

 facts. He found that hemosiderin of liver cells is different from that of 

 the alveolar cells of indurated lung in regard to the way in which the iron 

 is held, as well as in the chemical reactions of the basic material of the 

 granules themselves. The iron of the hepatic htemosiderin is in an 

 inorganic form easily extractable with very dilute acids, and to a certain 

 extent also by prolonged action of distilled water. The iron in hepatic 

 hsemosiderin is also readily demonstrated by acid ferro-cyanide solutions, 

 or by ammonium sulphide almost immediately after their application, 

 this indicating that the iron is not firmly bound in the substance of the 

 granules. That it is inorganic is shown also by its reactions with pure 

 dilute hematoxylin solutions. In the pulmonary lifemosideriii granules 

 the iron seems to be combined differently, yet in an inorganic form, prob- 

 ably with a proteid body, for on digestion with artificial gastric juice the 

 granules diminish in size and lose their iron. In both pulmonary and 

 hepatic hremosiderin granules the iron may be extracted, with the result 

 that the colour, shape, aiidsize of the granules may be unchanged, but the 

 residual matrix in pulmonaiy hemosiderin is much more readily affected 

 by stronger acids than is the case with hepatic hemosiderin. The residue 

 in neither seems to show any chemical affinities with hematoidin (biliru- 

 bin) or with hematoporphyrin. 



The conclusion from these observations is that hemosiderin is not a 

 chemical compound, that it is not uniform in composition, and that it is 

 for the most part a mixture of an inorganic iron compound with a brown- 

 yellow iron-free substance. 



The Committee ask to be reappointed. 



The Chemisirij of Bone Marrow.— Inierim Eejwrt of the Comrnittee, 

 consisting 0/ Professor E. A. SchAFEr {Chairman), Dr. R. Hutchi- 

 son (Secretary), Dr. Leonard Hill, amd Professor F. Gotch. 



The work of the Committee has been considerably retarded by the diffi- 

 culty of obtaining a sufficiency of material for examination and analysis. 

 A certain amount of progress has, however, been made in the estimation 

 of the nucleins and nuclein bases in red marrow, and the investigation of 

 the protoids has been begun. So far (1) a histon and (2) a nucleo- proteid 

 have been isolated, and the further investigation of these bodies is now 

 being proceeded with. Hereafter it is hoped that the estimation of the 

 iron compounds in marrow will be undertaken. 



The Morphology, Tocology, and Taxonomy of the Podostemacece. — • 

 Jieport of the Committee, consisting of Professor Marshall 

 Ward (Chairman), Professor J. B. Farmer (Secretary), and 

 Professor F. 0. BoWER. 



The Committee report that the grant of 20^. made at the Bradford 

 meeting of the British Association has been expended by Mr. J. C. Willis 

 in the prosecution of tlie research above named. 



