426 Dr. F. W. Pavy. Research bearing on the [June 16, 



not always a favourable specimen for the purpose, and this is scarcely 

 to be wondered at, looking at the abnormal state the animals often 

 exist under for a day or two previous to being killed. Similarly, it is 

 found that for collecting Bernardin (glycogen) from the liver, the 

 slaughter-house often affords a very unfavourable specimen for the 

 purpose. 



I will furnish the results of the quantitative analyses I have per- 

 formed. They were simply taken just as the specimens happened to 

 present themselves. As yet I have not done anything towards ascer- 

 taining in a systematic way how the quantity of the principle is modified 

 by antecedent conditions. This will form a subject for subsequent 

 investigation. The glucose figures yielded by the analysis have been 

 brought into Bernardin (glycogen) figures by the method of calcula- 

 tion which will be later on referred to. 



Amount of Bernardin (glycogen) found per 1,000 of Blood. 



Sheep. 



Bullock. 



Cat. 



Kabbit. 



Horse. 







•621 



0-388 



0-540 



0-837 



0-858 



0-504 







•422 



1 -025 



522 



0-423 











•540 



0-605 





0-387 











•630 



0-709 





0-441 











•549 



0-594 





0-630 











•432 



0-687 





0-967 











•623 



1-483 





693 











•423 



0-261 















797 



0-283 











The mean of these twenty-nine results, taken altogether, gives 0*616 

 as the amount of Bernardin found per 1,000 of blood. 



It has been seen that the method I adopt for the quantitative deter- 

 mination of the Bernardin present in the blood, is the conversion of it into 

 glucose by the agency of sulphuric acid and heat, and then estimating 

 the glucose by means of the ammoniated cupric test. This is the plan 

 adopted for the quantitative determination of starch. I have experi- 

 mented to ascertain the conditions required for securing complete con- 

 version into glucose, and have found that Bernardin offers a far greater 

 resistance to the converting action of sulphuric acid and heat than I 

 had at first anticipated. The particulars of an observation are before 

 me which showed that, after the process of boiling had been carried on 

 for four hours, full conversion had taken place ; whilst, at the end of 

 three hours, conversion was considerably short of complete. 



Fortunately for the progress of investigation, it happens that by 

 exposure to a higher temperature under pressure, a comparatively 

 short time suffices for effecting the complete conversion of Bernardin 



