Dr. A. Dupre on the Elimination of Alcohol. 277 



tion of the iodoform test, had already discovered the presence of a volatile 

 substance in human urine, as well as in that of various animals, which 

 gives the iodoform test. Working on larger quantities of urine, he has 

 arrived at the conclusion that this substance is not alcohol. M. Lieben 

 also has failed to isolate and identify the substance, owing to the very 

 small quantity present in the urine ; he thinks, however, that it may be 

 one of the odoriferous constituents of the urine. According to the author's 

 experience this cannot, however, be the case, since, first, the quantity of 

 substance yielding the iodoform does not seem to be diminished by distil- 

 lation over animal charcoal, whereas the urinous odour is thus almost 

 entirely removed ; secondly, the urinous odour of the distillate, in case no 

 animal charcoal was used, is not destroyed by heating with the bichromate 

 solution, which nevertheless produces acetic acid ; thirdly, a somewhat 

 similar substance seems present in the breath. It might be, however, that 

 the substance giving the iodoform test and that yielding the acetic acid 

 are two different compounds ; this must be left to future researches to 

 decide. 



In conclusion, it may not be uninteresting to point out that the quantity 

 of substance which yields the acetic acid apparently falls below the normal 

 proportion just after the effect of a dose or doses of alcohol has passed 

 off ; after which it gradually rises again to the normal standard. A some- 

 what analogous effect was observed by Dr. Bence Jones and the author, in 

 their research on the passage of quinine into and out of the tissues &c, to 

 follow the administration of quinine. In this case the natural fluorescence 

 of the extracts from the tissues, due to the presence of a substance re- 

 sembling quinine, and therefore called animal quinoidine by the discoverers, 

 frequently fell below the normal standard just after the effect of the 

 quinine had passed off, gradually rising again to the normal proportion. 

 A closer study of this relation might perhaps throw considerable light on 

 the physiological action of alcohol both in health and in disease. 



VOL XX. 



X 



