720 REPORT — 1898. 



cells of motor, olfactory, visual area from the dog's brain, showing fibrils, 

 were also taken. 



All attempts made as yet to obtain the substance which shows a great 

 affinity for basic dyes, and is found in ^Slissl's bodies, were unsuccessful. 



The Physiological Effects of Peptone and its Precursors when introduced 

 into the Circulation. — Second Interim Report of a Committee^ con- 

 sisting of Professor E. A. Schafer, F.U.S. {Chairman), Professor 

 C. S." Sherrington, F.B.8., Professor R. W. Boyce, and Professor 

 W. H. Thojipson (Secretary). (Drawn iip by the Secretary.) 



In continuation of the above inquiry during the past year attention has 

 chiefly been directed towards ascertaining the effects produced by 

 albumoses and peptone upon the secretion of urine. The objects kept in 

 view were threefold : (1) to determine the influence of the substances in 

 question upon nitrogenous excretion at the kidney ; (2) to see if any 

 important differences were manifested by the several substances when 

 compared with each other ; (3) to ascertain to what extent the substances 

 remained in or were excreted by the kidney from the animal body. 



The products examined were (1) Witte's Peptone, (2) Proto-albumose, 

 (3) Hetero-albumose, (4) Deutero-albumose, (5) Ampho-peptone, (6) 

 Anti-peptone. 



The following report is to be regarded as a statement of the year's 

 work, and not as a finished research. The carrying out of the investi- 

 gation was placed in the hands of the Secretary. 



The method adopted was as follows : — Dogs were exclusively em- 

 ployed, the animals being ansesthetised with a mixture of chloroform and 

 ether, preceded, except in a few of the earlier experiments, by a hypo- 

 dermic injection of a solution of morphine. The dose of morphine 

 employed was small, under two milligrammes per kilo, of body weight. ^ 



Cannulfe were placed in both ureters, and urine collected for definite 

 periods before and after an injection of the substance employed. With 

 the exception of hetero-albumose the substances were dissolved in physio- 

 logical saline solution — -6 per cent, sodium chloride. The quantity of 

 solvent employed was 4 c.c. per kilo, of body weight for animals below 

 twelve kilos. A.bove this weight a maximum of 50 c.c. was adopted. 

 Hetero-albumose was dissolved in 2 c.c. per kilo, of weak caustic soda 

 solution (-2 per cent.). 



The injection was made through a cannula placed in the external 

 saphenous vein, and the substance introduced very slowly from a burette 

 to avoid lowering of blood-pressure. The time occupied with the injection 

 varied for the most part from fifteen to twenty minutes. 



A record of blood-pressure was taken from the left carotid artery, and 

 showed that the injection of the substances could be accomplished without 

 appreciable lowering. The record was not continuous, but was taken at 

 minute intervals during the period of injection. While the subsequent 

 collection of urine proceeded, a record was taken every fifteen minutes. 



As a rule, urine was collected for one hour, then the substance was 

 injected, and urine collected for a second hour, likewise for a third, fourth, 

 and also for a fifth. 



The amount of total nitrogen and the quantity of urea were estimated in 

 the different samples of the urine. That passed subsequent to the injection 



