ON THE PHYSIOLOGY OF THE LYMPHATIC SYSTEM. 149 



ably. In some cases a doubtful trace is all tbat is present : in other 

 cases the amount is considerable, the precipitate produced by adding 

 nitric acid being a fairly thick cloud. On examining the matter more 

 closely, it was found that in those preparations rapidly made from glands 

 removed immediately after death, the amount of albumose was all but 

 imperceptible ; while in those which had been allowed to remain for an 

 hour or more at a summer temperature before they were extracted with 

 a saline solution, the amount was more considerable. The same result 

 was obtained by preparing these albumoses in another way : the glands 

 from several cats were chopped up finely, and placed under absolute 

 alcohol for four months ; by this means the ordinary proteids were 

 rendered insoluble ; the glands were then dried over sulphuric acid, and 

 powdered. Aqueous extracts of this powder contained no proteids which 

 were coagulable by heat, but varying quantities of albumose. In those 

 cases in which the glands had been removed with great expedition and 

 placed immediately under alcohol, the amount of albumose present was 

 very small ; but in those in which there had been delay, the amount of 

 albumose was considerable, and was easily separated into proto albumose 

 {i.e. an albumose precipitable by nitric acid in the cold, the precipitate 

 dissolving on the application of heat, and reappearing when cooled, not 

 precipitable by dialysis, and precipitated by saturation with sodium 

 chloride) and deutero-albumose (i.e., an albumose which is not preci- 

 pitated by dialysis, nor by saturation with sodium chloride, and which 

 gives the nitric acid test just described only when its solution is saturated, 

 or nearly saturated, with a neutral salt like sodium chloride). Hetero- 

 albumose was not identified ; it is exceedingly difficult to separate this 

 substance from a mixtui-e of proteids, as it is precipitated by heat, and 

 converted into an insoluble albumose — dysalbumose — by alcohol. In 

 only one case was peptone present ; in all other cases, no proteid re- 

 mained in solution after saturating the solution with ammonium sulphate ; 

 that is, peptone was absent. 



■ These observations suggested that the presence of these substances 

 was due to some post-mortem change in the pi'oteids of the protoplasm. 

 This surmise was strengthened by the further observation that, although 

 the natural reaction of the lymphatic glands is alkaline, in a very few 

 minutes, usually under a quarter of an hour after death, they become 

 faintly acid. A. Hirschler ' has shown that this acid is sarko-lactic acid. 

 Briicke showed that pepsin is present in various tissues, and accounted for 

 its presence by saying it was absorbed from the alimentary canal. It 

 does not exert any digestive function in the tissues because of their alka- 

 line reaction. When, however, the reaction of a tissue becomes acid, there 

 is no reason why, as in this case, the ferment should not exert its proteo- 

 lytic action. That this explanation is probably the correct one, was shown 

 by a few experiments performed as follows : the glands were quickly 

 removed from the animal, cut into small pieces, and then divided into 

 two halves ; one half was extracted immediately with a weak solution of 

 ammonium sulphate ; this extract was saturated with ammonium sulphate, 

 and the precipitate so pi'oduced filtered off. The filtrate contained no 

 peptone, and the precipitate contained a mere trace of proto-albumose. 

 The other half of the glands was placed in distilled water: on testing' the 

 reaction of this half an hour later, it was found to be distinctly acid ; 

 thymol was added to prevent putrefaction, and the whole kept in an 

 ' A. Hirschler, Zelt. PJlysiol. Cheniie, vol. xi. p. 41. 



