236 Vnlversiiu of Califurnia Puhlicaiions in Zoology [Vol.20 



powder treated with about eight times its volume of water for three 

 two-hour periods iu a shaking machine. The water extract was 

 evaporated at 60° C to about one-thirteenth of its volume aud two 

 parts of 95 per cent alcohol added to one part of the concentrated 

 extract. A copious precipitate was obtained, giving the phenyl hydra- 

 zine reaction and reducing Fehling's solution, but failing to give the 

 iodine test for glycogen. After twent.y-four hours the precipitate 

 was filtered out aud the filtrate evaporated to a thick syrup at about 

 50° C. An excess of absolute alcohol added to this syrup produced 

 a precipitate. This precipitate, a white powder, was soluble in water 

 and dilute alcohol. It reacted positively to nearly all of the protein 

 tests. Very small doses of 0.8 mg. injected intervenously into guinea 

 pigs caused respiratory disturbances similar to those of anaphylactic 

 shock and usually produced fatal results within about ten minutes. 

 The post-mortem findings showed inflation of the lungs which is char- 

 acteristic of anaphylaxis. Horses were even more sensitive than 

 guinea pigs, 0.0004 mg. per kg. of body weight being the lethal do.se. 

 Rabbits and dogs were less sensitive, and rats and mice were immune. 

 Similar results were produced by the injection of verj' large doses 

 interperitoneally iuto guinea pigs, but in this case the symptoms were 

 not manifest for about six hours. No definite results could be obtained 

 by subcutaneous injection, and the powder was non-toxic when given 

 by mouth. 



A substance was prepared by us answering to the description of 

 askaron and giving the same chemical reactions. This substance pro- 

 duced in guinea pigs the chewing movements, gasping for breath, 

 cramps, and partial paralysis described by Shimamura and Fujii, 

 but in none of the five animals tested was the result fatal. The char- 

 acteristic temperature curve described by these authors was produced 

 in animals surviving the operation. These symptoms were not pro- 

 duced in the three control animals injected with normal salt solution. 



Paramaccium thrived in our solutions of askaron. But the follow- 

 ing review of the literature on the anatomy and the digestive processes 

 of Parammecium U'd i^s to expect this 'result, since askaron is non- 

 toxic to the experimental mammals when fed to them bj' mouth. 

 Parmnaecium has a mouth or cytostome, an elongated cytopharj'nx, 

 and an anal aperture. According to Nirenstein (1905 and 1920) the 

 food vacuole is produced by an invagination of the lamella which 

 lines the blind caudal end of the cj'topharynx, so that the vacuole 

 thus formed is surrounded bv a membrane. 



