386 



Prof. B. Moore and Mr. H. E. Koaf. 



[Apr. 12, 



using chloroform as a preservative for these fluids, and were also 

 described by Formanek,* the bearing of such phenomena upon the 

 question of anaesthesia was not, however, appreciated by these previous 

 observers, who had approached the matter from a different standpoint, 

 and as we have in some respects amplified their observations, and in 

 others have obtained results not quite in accord with theirs, we feel 

 justified in here recording our experiments. 



It was observed by E. Salkowski in 1888 that blood could not be 

 preserved by adding chloroform, because it gradually became converted 

 into a thick mass. 



In 1891 it was observed by Horbaczewskif that haemoglobin was 

 precipitated from a solution containing it, and kept at a temperature 

 of 40 — 50° C, to which chloroform was added as a preservative. 



The subject was investigated more minutely by Forrnanekj in 1900, 

 and this observer found that a solution of haemoglobin kept at 

 50 — 55° C. for some time with chloroform was completely precipitated, 

 the filtrate being entirely free from haemoglobin. 



Formanek dried and analysed the precipitate, and from the absence 

 of chlorine after fusion with sodium carbonate and potassium nitrate 

 came to the conclusion that the precipitate is not a chloroform com- 

 pound of haemoglobin. In our opinion this is not a valid proof, as 

 the chloroform need not be so stably combined with the chloroform 

 as to stand drying at 130° C, and subsequent fusion as employed by 

 Formanek. The precipitate was dissolved by Formanek after thorough* 

 washing to remove the chloroform by the addition of a few drops of 

 sodium carbonate solution, and the solution gave the bands of 

 oxy-haemoglobin, and on treatment with ammonium sulphide reduced 

 haemoglobin. Formanek also found that blood serum and egg- 

 albumin were precipitated (when the reaction of the fluid was acid or 

 neutral) on keeping at a temperature of 50 — 55° C. in presence of 

 chloroform. From these experiments this observer came to the 

 conclusion that the precipitate with which he was dealing was a 

 mixture of haemoglobin and other proteids thrown out of solution by 

 the chloroform. It is also stated in this paper that oxy-haemoglobin 

 is only slowly and incompletely precipitated by the action of chloroform 

 at room temperatures. 



E. Salkowski, in his later paper,§ states that blood kept at a 

 temperature of 40° C. for 24 — 48 hours in presence of chloroform 

 changes to a thick mass, but found that the precipitation of the 

 haemoglobin was not complete under such circumstances. 



Eegarding the action of chloroform on serum, he states that serum 



* ' Zeitsch. f . physiol. Chem.,' vol. 29, 1900, p. 416. 

 f Quoted by Formanek, loc. cit. 

 X * Zeitsch.V. physiol. Chem.,' vol. 29, 1900, p. 416. 

 § 'Zeitsch. f. physiol. Chem.,' vol. 31, 1900, p. 329. 



