62 Miss M. P. FitzGerald. The Origin of the [June 4, 
Various micro-chemical reactions were employed by Edinger in 1882.* 
Hoping to solve the question by only colouring alkaline tissue, this 
investigator injected into a rabbit a colourless solution of phenolphthalein, 
which became of a deep red colour in the presence of alkali, but as the 
results obtained were lacking in clearness this method was abandoned, 
More promising but indefinite results were obtained by the use of a neutral 
concentrated solution of sodium alizarin. From this solution, purple-red in 
colour, is precipitated on the addition of a drop of acid the golden-yellow 
colloidal alizarin, insoluble in water. The precipitation was brought about 
by all acids, but of the salts investigated by him Edinger found that it was 
caused only by potassium and sodium phosphate. He considered this 
solution suitable for the enquiry on account of (1) its extreme sensitive- 
ness to acid (0°0007 HCl, Lieberkiihn); and (2) the colloidal nature of the 
precipitate. | 
He accordingly injected intravenously a solution of the above-named salt 
into rabbits and dogs, and as a result found the gastric mucosa flecked with 
a yellow colour. These orange-yellow areas corresponded to gland groups, 
and were separated one from another by broad red-violet zones. In some 
places the yellow areas were confluent. On making sections of the mucosa 
corresponding to one of these yellow areas, the colour could be traced into 
the deeper part of the tissue, in many cases throughout the length of the gland, 
in others through the upper third or to the middle of the gland tubule, but 
unfortunately in thin sections the colour was too faint for positive informa- 
tion of its precise situation to be obtained; therefore, knowledge of the 
function or reaction of the cells of the gastric glands was not furthered. 
He considered these results proved that the acid reaction of the 
gland tissue is spontaneous, but is not evident in all the glands at the 
same time, the red areas corresponding to resting glands. The reaction 
disappeared quickly or entirely in hunger (dogs). Owing to the rapid dis- 
appearance of the acid reaction from dying tissue, the animals were killed 
immediately after the injection if they had not already succumbed. The 
application of acid or alkali to the red or yellow spots caused an immediate 
alteration to yellow or red respectively, and this test could be repeated 
many times. 
In the rabbit the golden islands, separated by red-violet zones, occurred 
in the fundus, once in the anterior region of the lesser curvature, and in the 
region of the greater curvature, where they were particularly large, owing 
to confluence. The pyloric region was of a dirty yellow or red-yellow 
* L. Edinger, ‘ Pfliiger’s Archiv,’ 1882, vol. 29. 
