Mabch 22, 1907] 



SCIENCE 



453 



proteoses were prepared as usual, but with- 

 out subjecting the products to tempera- 

 tures over 50° C, from repeatedly precipi- 

 tated caseinogen, reerystallized egg albu- 

 min and reerystallized edestin. Proteoses 

 soluble and insoluble in 95 per cent, alco- 

 hol were obtained from each. Bromelin 

 and papain caseoses were also employed. 

 The proteoses were injected in doses of 

 0.3 to 0.7 gm. into guinea-pigs and 0.5 to 

 1.2 gm. into rabbits ; the temperature varia- 

 tions were observed on several days previ- 

 ous to the injection and were controlled by 

 saline injections. The bromelin and pa- 

 pain caseoses and egg albumin proteoses 

 have at times caused slight rise of tempera- 

 ture, while the purest material— the edes- 

 tinose— has been practically without ef- 

 fects whenever tried. Extraction of the 

 bromelin and papain caseoses with boiling 

 alcohol has lessened the pyrexia, and the 

 products soluble in 95 per cent, alcohol were 

 found non-febrile. The primary cleavage 

 products of pepsin-HCl digestion, when 

 prepared as above, never have more than 

 a slight pyrogenic effect when injected 

 into rabbits and guinea pigs. This effect 

 is so slight that such substances can not be 

 the direct inciting cause of the severe 

 naturally occurring fevers. 



The Fractional Precipitation of Antitoxic 

 Serum: E. J. Banzhap and R. B. Gib- 

 son. 



A new practical method for the partial 

 purification and concentration of antitoxin, 

 based on the solubility of antitoxic proteids 

 in saturated NaCl solution. The diluted 

 plasma is precipitated with an equal vol- 

 ume of saturated (NH4)2S04 solution and 

 the antitoxic proteids extracted from the 

 precipitate with saturated NaCl. The 

 method has been used to study further the 

 concentration of antitoxin. Twenty liters 

 of plasma (475 units per e.e.) were diluted 

 with 20 liters of water ; by f ractioning with 



(NH4)2S04, the three proteid precipitates 

 were obtained containing 1,150, 1,350 and 

 1,750 units, respectively, per c.e. The 

 NaCl-soluble (total antitoxic) globulins of 

 these fractions of the plasma were prepared 

 as usual. 



A second experiment resulted similarly. 

 All the preparations, when precipitated 

 from the NaCl with acetic acid and di- 

 alyzed, probably contained a partially de- 

 naturalized antitoxic globulin, which had a 

 diminished solubility and antitoxic potency 

 (per gm.) and was precipitated on slight 

 acidification by great dilution. Further 

 partition (after complete neutralization) 

 of the fractions when freed from the water- 

 acid precipitable proteid yielded filtrates 

 that coagulated at 73° C. The more soluble 

 proteids of the fractions were found to 

 have a relatively higher antitoxic content 

 per gm., the last to be precipitated being 

 at least three to four times stronger than 

 the total NaCl-soluble globulin. 



Some Factors Modifying the Output of 

 Endogenous Uric Acid: E. W. Rock- 

 wood and C. Van Bpps. 

 An attempt was made to determine the 

 effect of some substances commonly used to 

 increase the elimination of uric acid by 

 man; at the same time the nitrogen, phos- 

 phoric acid and, in some cases, the creatin- 

 ine, were determined. The diet was con- 

 stant and either purine-free or contained 

 a fixed amount of purine derivatives. After 

 it was proved that chocolate did not cause an 

 increase of the uric acid this was included, 

 in one case, in the food. Alkalies and some 

 of their salts whose decomposition prod- 

 ucts make the urine alkaline were tried. 

 Of these sodium bicarbonate caused no 

 increase; lithium carbonate, a decrease; 

 potassium acetate and sodium citrate, no 

 change. Colehicum slightly decreased the 

 uric acid. With both sodium salicylate 

 and aspirin (the acetic acid ester of sali- 



