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Prof. A. Gamgee. On certain Chemical [Mar. 13, 



has been recently done. He does so under the" following heads : — (1.) 

 The question of the identity of haemoglobin throughout the animal 

 kingdom, (2.) The nature of the albuminous body which is linked to 

 the coloured iron-containing group in haemoglobin — Globin (Rcemato 

 Histon). Under this heading he discusses the general properties of 

 the histons and their relation to the simplest of all the albuminous 

 bodies, the Protamines. (3.) The products of the decomposition of the 

 iron-containing molecular group in haemoglobin. Under this heading 

 the author directs special attention to the researches of Schunck and 

 Marchlewski, which have shown by the oxidation of phyllotaonin, one 

 of the decomposition products of chlorophyll, a substance, Phyllo- 

 porphyrin, is obtained which is probably identical with haematopor- 

 phyrin. Under this, as also under the preceding head, the author 

 discusses various questions in reference to the seat of the synthesis of 

 haemoglobin. 



Part II. — Experimm ta I. 



(1.) Extension of Previous Observations on the Absorption of the Ultra- 

 violet Bays of the Solar Spectrum by Haptoglobin. 



The author refers briefly (illustrating his remarks by demonstra- 

 tions) to his researches, previously published, into the absorption of 

 the extreme violet and ultra-violet ra} T s of the solar spectrum by 

 haemoglobin, its compounds, and certain of its derivatives. The region 

 of the solar spectrum which he formerly investigated was that com- 

 prised between the lines F and Q (4861—3280). 



He now examines the question whether oxy-haemoglobin presents 

 » definite absorption for light of shorter wave-lengths. Soret, whose 

 observations were not conducted with solutions of haemoglobin but 

 merely with diluted blood, observing by the aid of his fluorescent 

 eye-piece the cadmium spark spectrum, found that diluted blood, in 

 addition to the absorption band in the extreme violet, exhibited two 

 additional bands. One of these, coinciding with the 12th cadmium line 

 (3247), he considered to be probably due to haemoglobin ; the other, 

 coinciding with the 17th cadmium line (2743), he assumed to be caused 

 by serum albumin, his observations having previously shown that all 

 albuminous and albuminoid bodies, with the exception of gelatin, are 

 characterised by an absorption band in the position of the 17th cad- 

 mium line. 



Employing solutions of many times crystallised oxy-haemoglobin of 

 great purity and of varying concentration, and with the aid of the 

 sparks of a powerful induction coil, the author has obtained a series 

 of photographs of the cadmium spark spectrum with and without the 

 interposition of the solutions. The examination of these photographs 

 shows that solutions of oxy-haemoglobin which are sufficiently trans- 



