290 BACTERIAL POISONS. 



place within the cell-nucleus proper. For we know that 

 every cell is endowed with an enormous reducing power, 

 and hence it is not diiRcult to see how the oxygejj-free 

 adenine can be readily converted into a body or bodies 

 which greedily take up oxygen. We must, therefore, look 

 upon adenine and guanine not only as the antecedents of 

 hypoxanthine and xanthine, but also as intermediate pro- 

 ducts which, when they form in the cell, may give rise to 

 impoi'tant chemical processes, especially those of a synthetic 

 nature. It is highly probable that the study of the decom- 

 position-products of nuclein will explain to us many of the 

 metabolic changes in the organism, and throw additional 

 light upon the migration of the amido group from the 

 proteid molecule to the amido acids and urea derivatives. 

 Thus, the formation of xanthine from guanine represents 

 the conversion of a guanidine residue into a urea residue. 

 A similar change is undoubtedly effected in the transforma- 

 tion of adenine into hypoxanthine. 



Adenine unites with bases, acids,- and salts. The salts 

 of adenine with mineral acids can be recrystallized, thus 

 differing from the corresponding salts of guanine and hypo- 

 xanthine, which are dissociated by the action of water. 

 The solutions of the salts, however, show an acid reaction 

 to litmus but not to methyl-oi'ange. 



The hydrochloride, CgHjNj.HCl 4- iB.fi, forms color- 

 less, transparent, strongly refracting crystals. One part of 

 the anhydrous salt is soluble in 41.9 parts of cold water. 

 Microscopically it is distinct from that of hypoxanthine and 

 adenine-hypoxanthine. 



The nitrate, CjHjJSr^.HNOj -f- JHp, crystallizes from 

 the aqueous solution in fine, stellate needles. One part of 

 the dry salt dissolves in 110.6 parts of water. 



The sulphate, (C5H5]Srj)2.H2SO, + 2H2O, can be obtained 

 from the aqueous solution in two different crystalline forms. 

 This may possibly be due to the presence of adenine-hypo- 

 xanthine compound (Bruhns). It is easily soluble in hot 

 water, and at the ordinary temperature it is soluble in 153 

 parts of water. 



The oxalate, C5H5N5.CjH20^ -|- HjjO, is obtained by dis- 



