1880.] 



Colouring-matters of Human Urine. 



22$ 



as it gives the bands of hsemochromogen with sulphide of ammonia. A 

 similar pigment may be obtained by isolating hsematoin as described 

 before, and treating the residue with alcohol and caustic soda, when 

 the same spectrum is seen ; but while the pigment obtained directly 

 from oxidised haemoglobin is easily reduced to haBmochromogen, the 

 latter pigment is reduced with great difficulty. 



This alkaline hasmatin, whose spectrum is represented in Chart III, 

 sp. 19,* is easily converted into acid hsematin again, and thus may be 

 the source of all those kinds of heematin from which the biliary and 

 urinary pigments can be formed, 



■ Production of the Spectrum of Sheep-bile from this Pigment. — While 

 by the influence of oxidising agents such as peroxide of hydrogen and 

 permanganate of potassium, this body yields apparently the same pig- 

 ment as heematoin yields, it gives with sodium amalgam in the cold, 

 and with brief action the spectrum of sheep or ox bile, sp. 20, t 

 Chart III. It wants, however, one band in the red, but that also can 

 be made to appear by gentle oxidation with peroxide of hydrogen, and 

 this band in bile only appears after that fluid has been exposed to the 

 air for some time. (Cf. Chart IV, sp. 2, and Chart III, sp. 2.) 



When this reduced brownish-red solution was treated with hydro- 

 chloric acid, it gave a spectrum very like that got by treating the bile 

 pigments of the sheep with the same reagent ; J but in order to compare 

 the action of reagents on the respective fluids, it will be necessary to 

 isolate the pigment giving this spectrum from sheep-bile, which has 

 not yet been done. When the solution giving the above spectrum 

 is treated with sulphide of ammonium the bands of haBmochromogen 

 appeared. Consequently, if sheep-bile contains this kind of hasmatin, 

 it should also yield the bands of that substance with sulphide of 

 ammonium. 



Hcematin in the Bile of the Sheep. — Perfectly fresh bile, which did 

 not contain blood, and which gave sp. 2, Chart IV, had a few drops of 

 acetic acid added to it, but as this was not sufficient to precipitate the 

 mucus when added in such small quantity, alcohol also was added. 

 The fluid, after filtration, was shaken with chloroform and water. The 

 chloroformic solution, after separation and filtering, had a brown 

 colour, with a slightly greenish tinge, giving sp. 3, Chart IV. The 

 chloroform was evaporated off, leaving an olive-brown residue. This, 

 dissolved in alcohol, formed a green-brown solution, giving sp, 4, 

 Chart IV. When sulphide of ammonium was added to this fluid, the 



* The difference in position of band near D in 19 and 20 is accounted for when 

 we remember that in one case we are dealing with an alcoholic, and in the other 

 with a syrupy aqueous solution. 



f The bands are not coincident with those of 2, because in one case bile, and in 

 the other alcohol, is the solvent for the pigment. (See 2, 3, and 7, Chart IY.) 



% " Spectroscope in Medicine," Chart II, sp. 9. 



