1885.] creatine and urea in muscular tissue. 275 



which is readily decomposed by weak acids into carbonic acid and 

 urea* 



f™ 2 

 CO (NH, 



2 NH + H,0 = Na 2 C0 3 + CO, + 2CO \ 

 CO (NH, 



lONa 



If the allophanic ether however were combined with g'ycocine 

 we should have 



rNH 2 rNH 2 



CO ] (NH 2 CO 



NH + CK 2 \ =C.,H 5 .HO+ NH 



CO J ' (COOH CO J 



10C 2 H 5 (NH - CH 2 - COOH 



and this compound united with urea may, as I have elsewhere 

 shewn*f", form ammonium urate and water. 



CO \ (NH 2 



NH + CO ] = C 5 N 4 3 H 3 . NH 4 + 2H 2 



CO i (NH„ ammonium urate. 



INH - CH 2 - COOH urea 



From what I have stated it is easy to see how alcohol may act 

 as a food, and that after its administration the amount of C0 2 or 

 of urea eliminated from the system may not exceed the normal 

 quantity; if anything this theory would show that the C0 2 should 

 be lessened. It is not more difficult to conceive, a priori, that 

 glucose should in the system be transformed into carbonic acid 

 and alcohol, than that it should be converted into lactic acid ; both 

 changes are simply the result, out of the body, of different forms of 

 so-called fermentation. 



A second question may be asked. Whence is the HCN derived, 

 that is to form the cyan-alcohols entering into the composition of 

 albumen ? 



It is from the oxidation of the amido-bodies. 



By oxidising glycocine for instance, we get+ 



CH 2 \ + 2 = HCN + C0 2 + 2H„0 



(COOH 



Leucine gives § 



(NH, 



C 5 HJ +0,---C 4 H 9 .CN + C0 2 + 2H o 



(COOH 



* Watts' Diet, of Chem., Vol. i. p. 133. 



t On the Formation of Uric Acid in Animals, 1884. 



% Watts' Diet., Vol. n. p. 903. § lb. Vol. in. p. 582. 



