312 



Mr. A. Fleming. On a Remarkable 



Cotton Wool. — This was tested by two methods which the author had 

 previously used to demonstrate the gossypiotropic properties of certain aniline 

 dyes. 



The first method consists in pushing slowly to the bottom of the test-tube con- 

 taining a column of about 2 inches of a lysozyme-containing material a tight 

 plug of cotton-wool, so that the fluid percolates through the cotton-wool and 

 collects above it. Using tears diluted 1 in 1,000 (this sample of tears showed 

 lysis up to a dilution of 1 in 5,000,000) it was found that when this 

 experiment was carried out the whole of the lysozyme was removed by the 

 cotton-wool. 



In the second method a tight plug of cotton-wool was introduced into a 

 narrow tube, 1 c.c. of tears (1 in 1,000) placed above this, and with pressure 

 exerted with a rubber teat the fluid was driven through the cotton-wool. 

 Successive volumes of 1 c.c. were driven in this way through the cotton-wool 

 and these were separately tested for the presence of lysozyme. It was 

 found that a tight plug of cotton-wool 1 cm. long introduced into a piece of 

 6-mm. tubing absorbed the whole of the lysozyme from 12 c.c. of a 

 1 in 1000 dilution of tears. Further volumes of the diluted tears passed 

 through this cotton-wool plug all contained lysozyme. 



Filter Paper. — This was tested in the same way as cotton-wool and with 

 the same results. Passage through about - 5 cm. of compressed filter paper 

 in 6-mm. tubing removed the whole of the lysozyme from 10 c.c. of a 

 a thousand-fold dilution of tears. 



Is the Lysozyme Removed from Solution with Substances such as Charcoal ? 



It was found that when a small quantity of blood charcoal was added to a 

 thousand-fold dilution of tears and after 2 hours on the bench the mixture 

 was centrifuged, the clear supernatant fluid contained no lysozyme. It was 

 shown that no inhibitory substance had been absorbed into the fluid from the 

 charcoal because, after the supernatant fluid had failed to cause lysis of the 

 cocci, a small quantity of the diluted tears was introduced, when lysis promptly 

 occurred. It is evident, therefore, that charcoal removed the lysozyme from 

 the fluid. 



Distribution of the Lysozyme in the Body. 



In the first experiments it was found that nasal mucus contained a large 

 amount of lysozyme, and it was later found that tears and sputum were 

 very potent in their lytic action. It was also found that this property was 

 possessed by a very large number of the tissues and organs of the body. The 

 lysozyme-content of the tissues was investigated by placing small portions of 

 tissue not larger than a split pea in tubes containing 1 c.c. of a thick suspen- 



