538 
Dr Latham, On the complete hydrolytic 
suggested that in dead proteid the antecedents of the amino fatty 
acids are their anhydrides, a triple union of each taking place 
NH CH„ — NH — CO— CHo 
3CH 9 < | = | >NH 
x CO CO— NH— CH 2 — CO x 
glycin 
anhydride 
or generally 
.NH R.CH— NH— CO— R.CH 
3R.CH< | = | )NH 
X CO CO— N H— R . CH— CO X 
compounds which, when the ring is broken, are now known as 
polypeptides. 
Further, in accordance with Pfltiger’s view that ammonium 
cyanate is the tvpe of living and urea of dead nitrogen, he 
/NH 
suggested that when R . CH | in the above triple molecule 
\C° 
becomes part of living tissue it is transformed into the cyan- 
/OH 
alcohol R . CH 
\CN 
Printed tables (Tables II and III) showing how on these data 
the synthesis of dead albumin chiefly results from the combination 
of the polypeptides with the imino-ketonic acids, and how the 
synthesis of living albumin chiefly results from the combination of 
the cyan-alcohols with the imino-ketonic acids, were laid before the 
Society. 
Finally, Dr Latham advanced the view that the phenomena of 
the coagulation of the blood are associated with the transforma- 
tion of 
/OH NH 
(i) R . CH into R . CH< | 
\ X CO 
CN 
(ii) CH (NH,) . (CN)o + 2HCN into 
amino-malonic 
nitrile 
N = C(NH 2 ) 
I I 
CH C— NH 
I | \ 
CH 
1 I ^ 
N — C — N 
adenine 
