Jaxi ahy 20. lOO.i.] 



SCIENCE. 



107 



meat proteid. The calorific requirement was 

 estimated from Rulmer's tables and was fully 

 covered in each experiment with fats and 

 carbohydrates. Jxesult.s show an equal spar- 

 ing of the body proteid with one fourth, one 

 third and one half gelatin nitrogen, the coin- 

 cident sparing of fats and carbohydrates being 

 the same. When the coincident sparing of 

 proteid by non-nitrogenous food is increased 

 by feeding a larger percentage of carbohy- 

 drates and less fat, two thirds of the nitrogen 

 requirement may be given in gelatin and per- 

 fect nitrogenous equilibrium maintained at 

 the starvation level. The same result was 

 obtained on man. 



TJie reductions in the hody in fever, with 



demonstrations: C. A. Herter. 



Dr. Hei'ter demonstrated that elevation of 

 the body temperature greatly accelerates the 

 rate of reduction in the tissues. This was 

 shown by means of an intravital infusion of 

 methylene blue in a rabbit whose body tem- 

 perature had been raised to 42° C. by the 

 external application of heat. Simultaneously 

 with this infusion anoth6r injection was made 

 in a rabbit, of approximately equal weight, in 

 which the temperature was maintained at 

 about 39° C. Otherwise conditions in the 

 two animals were practically the same. At 

 the close of the infusions, the organs of the 

 rabbit of normal temperature snowed more 

 color than those of the one in which the tem- 

 perature had been elevated. The differences 

 in the nervous system and the muscles were 

 particularly striking. 



The measurement of tlie reducing processes of 

 cells in vitro, ivilli demonstrations: C. A. 

 Eertkr. 



An apparatus was demonstrated which had 

 been devised for the purjiose of measuring the 

 reducing processes of the different kinds of 

 cells in vitro. Definite quantities or organ pulp 

 were placed in specially constructed tubes and 

 anaerobic conditions were established by the 

 passage of nitrous oxid gas. Definite quan- 

 tities of methylene blue of known strength 

 were then added. The rate of reduction was 

 indicated by the disappearance of the blue 

 color owing to the reduction of the animal 



cells. It was shown that in vitro the influence 

 of temperature is the same as that observed 

 in the living organism. The influence of 

 alkali in accelerating reduction was also 

 shown. The action of salts and various 

 poisons is at present the subject of investiga- 

 tion. 



Some medical applications of the naphtho- 

 qiiinon sodium mono-sulfonate reactions, 

 with demonstrations : C. A. Herter. 

 Dr. Herter demonstrated the reactions of 

 this compound with anilin, various amins, 

 nicotin, conin, piperidin, indol, skatol and 

 pyrrol. Colored condensation products re- 

 sulted. The reactions with indol, skatol and 

 pyrrol possess unusual physiological and chem- 

 ical interest and will form the subjects of 

 future publications. The reaction with 

 pyrrol, which is highly characteristic and 

 should prove of special service to chemists, 

 occurs in the cold and is evidenced by the 

 deepening red which, on the addition of alkali, 

 changes to purple, violet, blue and finally 

 reddish brown. The addition of acid to the 

 red solution obtained without alkali is fol- 

 lowed by the development of a green and 

 finally a brown color. 



Among the biological and medical applica- 

 tions of these reactions. Dr. Herter mentioned 

 the study of various aromatic compounds in 

 the organism, the occurrence of certain intra- 

 vital syntheses, the detection in the urine of 

 organic compounds such as para amido phenol, 

 and the development of a method of staining 

 the bile capillaries by means of intravenous 

 infusion of the derivatives of the naphtho- 

 quinon compound. Dr. Herter also stated 

 that these substances facilitate the study of 

 the relation between the chemical constitution 

 and distribution of poisons in the body. 



On the rate of ahsorption from intramuscular 

 tissue, with demonstrations : S. J. Meltzer 

 and John Auer. 



The authors tested a previous observation 

 that absorption from the muscles is very 

 much more rapid and efficient than from the 

 subcutaneous tissue. Adrenalin, curare, mor- 

 phin and fluorescin were used in the tests. 



In the case of adrenalin, for example, it 



