6 4 



Scientific Proceedings (79). 



minutes after the injection of 3 c.c. (about 50 mgm. dried substance) 

 on the third day. In another rabbit 4 c.c. intravenously proved 

 fatal in ten minutes. In another, 2 c.c. on the first day were with- 

 out effect, but the following day 2 c.c. caused death promptly. 

 The symptoms are convulsions and cessation of respiration before 

 the heart beat. Immediate post mortem reveals nothing distinc- 

 tive. In one case there were punctate hemorrhages in the thymus. 

 Others have been negative. There is no intra-vascular clotting, 

 but on the contrary the blood from the heart remains fluid for over 

 an hour. 



Intraperitoneal injections do not result fatally, but seems to 

 affect the animal seriously with loss of weight and a generally 

 poor condition of nourishment. Not enough work has been done, 

 however, to be sure on this point. At any time during the intra- 

 peritoneal injections, an injection intravenously will promptly 

 cause death. One attempt at immunization proved negative to 

 complement fixation. 



What has been said of rabbits is also true for white rats, ex- 

 cepting that intra-peritoneal injections make them sick for an 

 hour or so, after which they recover. 



As to the substance itself, it is tentatively assumed to be a 

 nucleoprotein. It is weakly positive to the Biuret test, but the 

 color develops slowly. It is negative to the xanthoproteic, positive 

 to the Adamkiewicz and Millon's. It gives a positive test for 

 pentoses with orcin. It is practically insoluble in water and 5 

 per cent. NaCl, but dissolves readily in tenth normal NaOH. 

 The presence of a pentose places it in the group of nucleoproteins 

 and as it is toxic and probably non-antigenic it behaves like a 

 nucleohiston. Many questions at once suggest themselves and 

 they will be discussed in a later communication. Meanwhile 

 work on the original problem is being carried on. 



