26 



Scientific Proceedings (78). 



However, this assumption as to the structure of "vitamines" 

 does not appear to be borne out by the more or less complete 

 failure of several of the above synthetic compounds to protect 

 birds against polyneuritis though capable of relieving the severe 

 symptoms when once developed. No conclusion has been reached 

 as to the cause of this apparent discrepancy. 



Future work will take the direction of a search for similar 

 desmotropism in the pyrimidine series. 



17 ("95) 



Quantitative chemical studies in spinal fluids. 



By R. L. Kahn and Josephine B. Neal (by invitation). 



[From the Research Laboratory, Bureau of Laboratories, Department 

 of Health, City of New York.] 



Quantitative determinations of total, non-protein and urea 

 nitrogen, creatinine, creatine and sugar have been carried out on 

 spinal fluids of poliomyelitis and various forms of meningitis. 

 Traces of ammonia, uric acid and cholesterol have also been 

 demonstrated in these fluids. 



With the exception of urea, which has been extensively studied 

 by French workers, 1 quantitative studies in spinal fluids are com- 

 paratively meager, due undoubtedly to the fact that until recently, 

 micro-methods not being available for these determinations, large 

 quantities of fluid had to be used for any single chemical test. 



The direct Nesslerization method for nitrogen determinations 

 recently reported by Folin and Denis 2 has been with slight modi- 

 fications adopted for the determinations of total, non-protein 

 urea and ammonia nitrogen in spinal fluids. The total nitrogen 

 in poliomyelitis is in the neighborhood of 25 mgm. per 100 c.c. 

 In various forms of meningitis the total nitrogen was found to be 

 considerably increased, extending from about 35 mgm. to 150 

 mgm. per 100 c.c. The non-protein nitrogen content is about 50 

 to 70 per cent, of the total nitrogen and urea, about 60 to 80 per 

 cent, of the non-protein nitrogen. The determinations of am- 



1 Soper, W. B. and Granat, S., Arch. Int. Med., XIII, 131, 1914, review the 

 literature. 



s Folin, O. and Denis, W., J. Biol. Chem., XXVI, 473, 1916. 



