218 



The Philippine Journal of Science 



blood was tested for the presence of amygdalin by hydrolysis 

 with hydrochloric acid and was tested for hydrocyanic acid 

 by distilling into alkali and using ferrous sulphate paper, with 

 the results noted in Table XI. 



Table XI. — Elimination of amygdalin from blood stream of rabbits. 



Rabbit. 



Results. 



2 hours. 



10 hours. 



24 hours. 



1 



+ + 

 + + 

 + + 

 + + 



(») 



w 



(») 

 (") 



" 



2 



8 



4 





++, fair test for hydrocyanic acid ; 

 ■ Questionable. 



negative for hydrocyanic acid. 



The results indicate that the amygdalin no longer exists in 

 the blood stream after ten hours. 



Tests were made with blood and blood serum from lepers and 

 with blood from apparently healthy people by incubating the 

 samples with a standard amygdalin solution to determine if any 

 difference exists in their hydrolytic powers on amygdalin. 



Table XII. — Quantity of hydrocyanic acid liberated by the action of blood 

 on amygdalin. 



Kind of blood. 



Quantity 

 of amyg- 

 dalin solu- 

 tion (1 

 gram in 

 150 cc. of 

 water). 



Quantity of 



0. 1 N silver 



nitrate 



solution 



used. 



Hydro- 

 cyanic acid 



liberated 

 in per cent 

 of original. 



Hydrocy- 

 anic acid 

 liberated. 



Leper 



Blood serum from leper 



Healthy 



Do. 



Do 



Do 



Do 



Do 



Do 



Do 



Do 



Do 



None 



0.47 

 9.49 



0. 34 



3. 68 

 5.50 



0.60 



1. 05 

 1.06 



0.77 

 1.80 



1.33 

 0. 94 

 1.05 

 1. 10 



0.000540 

 0. 000059 

 0. 000059 

 0. 000103 

 0.000103 

 0.000097 

 0. 000076 

 0. 000128 

 0. 000132 

 0.000092 

 0. 000103 

 0. 000108 



While the absolute results may not be of extreme accuracy, 

 they are comparable and indicate that leper blood may have 

 greater hydrolytic power on amygdalin than does normal blood. 



