674 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXVIII. No. 



benzene sulphonic acid reaction for the detection 

 of histidine it seems probable that histidine or 

 some form of it in a free state is contained in the 

 desiccated posterior lobe of the pituitary gland, 

 since by benzoylating direct, using Inouye's 

 method Panly's reaction was positive and that the 

 body (or bodies) giving Pauly's reaction after 

 hydrolysis by means of mineral acids or digesting 

 with pancreatin is not tyrosine (which gives a 

 similar reaction) since after benzoylating the 

 histidine reaction still persists. Furthermore, the 

 histidine-like body (or bodies) is probably not 

 histidine, since it does not give Weidel's reaction 

 as modified by Fischer or Knopp 's reaction with 

 bromine. 



It would seem probable also that Pauly's re- 

 action is not a specific reaction for histidine, but a 

 reaction for certain bodies yet to be positively 

 determined. 



J. H. Long: Ths Mutual Action of Pepsin and 



Trypsin. 



The older physiologists seem to have considered 

 this a comparatively simple question, but their 

 findings were not in agreement. Kiihne was one 

 of the first to discuss the problem and he concluded 

 that pepsin destroys trypsin. This is probably 

 correct, but his experimental evidence does not 

 warrant the statement. In all such experiments 

 the reaction of the medium must be pretty defi- 

 nitely known, as the content of hydrogen or 

 hydroxyl ions is often the determining factor. In 

 most of the older work these points were almost 

 wholly overlooked, as the combining power of 

 protein for acid or alkali was not known or not 

 recognized. Making a due allowance for the re- 

 action of the medium, the present experiments show 

 that within the practical limits of body behavior 

 trypsin has no important action on pepsin, while 

 the action of pepsin on trypsin is markedly de- 

 structive, while an acid medium weakens the 

 trypsin, pepsin plus acid seems to destroy it 

 rather rapidly. 

 G. 0. HiGLET : A Further Study on the Well Water 



of Delaioare, Ohio. 



The purpose of this study was to supplement 

 that reported on at the spring meeting — to trace 

 the relation between well water and an outbreak of 

 typhoid. The city water had been examined and 

 found safe. The water of about 100 wells has 

 been analyzed and much of it found polluted. 

 Five vaults were now selected in various parts of 

 the city and in widely different soils: these were 

 heavily salted and a weekly test for chlorides 

 made during a period of nearly two months of the 



water of thirteen wells located from 58 to 118 

 feet from the vaults. Comparison of results of 

 analyses made before and after the salting proc- 

 ess, showed a decided increase in chlorides in well 

 water at four of the five centers and in seven of 

 the thirteen wells. 

 H. P. Armsby: Comparison of the Observed and 



Computed Heat Production of Cattle. 

 Jacob Eosenbloom and S. Roy Mills: The Non- 

 interference of Ptomaines with Certain Tests 

 for Morphine. 



We have determined experimentally that bacte- 

 rial products formed during aerobic and anaerobic 

 putrefaction of various human organs do not give 

 reactions simulating those due to the presence of 

 morphine and in no way do they interfere with the 

 detection of morphine when added to these putre- 

 factive products. 



Jacob Eosenbloom: On the Distribution of Mer- 

 cury Following Acute Bichloride of Mercury 

 Poisoning. 



The writer has estimated the amount of mercury 

 in the organs of a woman who died eight days 

 after ingestion of bichloride of mercury. 

 James P. Atkinson : The Effect of Electrolysis on 

 Whole Proteins, Witte's Peptone, and some of 

 their Decomposition Products. 

 Whole protein (egg white), Witte's peptone 

 and protein (horse serum), hydrolyzed by hydro- 

 chloric acid, yield approximately 50 per cent, of 

 the total nitrogen as ammonia when electrolyzed in 

 a sulphuric-acid solution. The amino acids tested, 

 glyeylglycine, uric acid and urea, do not yield as 

 much nitrogen as ammonia under the same condi- 

 tions, while ammonium sulphate is unaffected. 

 A. F. Blakeslee and E. A. Gortner: The Non- 

 development of Cytolytic Sera following the 

 Intravenous Injection of Mould Spores. 

 Intravenous injections of the spores of each race 

 of Mucor " V " were given to rabbits, rabbit No. 

 5 receiving 30 injections of the ($ race and rabbit 

 No. 55 receiving 29 injections of the J race. Each 

 injection would average about 500,000,000 spores. 

 Following the last injection of approximately 

 800,000,000 spores a loop of blood was taken at 

 intervals of 30 minutes for 6 hours, then every 

 hour for 4 hours more, then every two hours for 

 16 hours more and later at less frequent intervals. 

 Separation cultures were made of agar which con- 

 tained the loop of blood taken and the number of 

 mould colonies which developed were counted. A 

 similar test was made at the same time, using 

 rabbits which had received their first injection of 

 the spores. In each case the disappearance of the 



