352 



Mr. A. H. Smee on Organic Substances [June 16^ 



making a larger or smaller surface of the platinum come in contact with 

 the zinc. The amount of oxygen which is carried over is very limited, 

 provided a tube is used of ^ inch diameter ; but when a tube of 1 1 inch is 

 used, a quantity might pass sufficient to interfere with the experiment. 



The amount of oxygen at times thus carried over when the large tube 

 is used is so great, that a change in the products may take place and fibrin 

 may be formed in the place of the chondrin, provided the albumen is not 

 over alkaline. 



As fibrin was formed by oxygen, and this new substance analogous to 

 chondrin by hydrogen, it occurred to me that these two substances might 

 be formed simultaneously by a simple-cell voltaic arrangement. For this 

 purpose I took a tube with one end closed by parchment paper, or some- 

 times by animal membrane, filled it with albumen which had been made 

 slightly acid by acetic acid, and inserted it into a small vessel containing 

 albumen to which a small quantity of potash or soda had been added. I 

 then connected the two fluids by means of a platinum wire, so that one side 

 might become a positive and the other a negative pole. Considerable action 

 took place after the lapse of some time, when upon examination I found the 

 albumen in the tube was changed, not into the fibrillated fibrin, but into a 

 granular material. The other pole, or rather the the alkaline albumen, was 

 changed into a substance which behaved with various reagents in different 

 ways. In some cases it was a tough, ropy and viscid substance, which was 

 coagulated in water by a solution of acetate of lead, was insoluble in acids and 

 in alcohol, and very slightly soluble in alkali. At other times I have noticed 

 a substance formed having very much the appearance of the expectoration 

 of bronchitis ; and at other times the dense hard substance analogous to 

 chondrin in its behaviour with reagents was formed. 



The various states of the material into which albumen is converted 

 appear to be influenced by the nature of the alkali employed and by the 

 relative size of the negative pole. The temperature should be as nearly as 

 possible constant during the time the experiment is being conducted. The 

 amount of the surface of membrane interposed appears to have very little 

 influence over the products. When soda was the alkali employed, the 

 viscid and frothy mucus-like product was more frequently obtained. 



The amount of water present appears to have a very decided influence 

 on the product formed. When the viscid and frothy material is produced, it 

 appears to form quicker than the hard and dense chondrin. The tempe- 

 rature of 98° F. appears to favour the production of the chondrinous 

 material ; but I must admit I have sometimes made all the varieties, the 

 viscid, the frothy, and also the chondrin, at much lower temperatures. 



In one case I succeeded after many experiments in obtaining from the 

 acid pole, by keeping it at a temperature of 98° F., fibrin of the fibrillated 

 form, but the greater portion of the albumen at this pole was converted 

 into the granular form. The alkaUne pole formed pretty constantly the 

 dense hard artificial chondrin. 



