100 



Scientific Proceedings (38). 



free and perhaps temporarily accumulate in the blood. Studies of 

 Dr. Dochez (these Proceedings, p. 97) furnish evidence that the 

 normal liver contains two enzymes : {a) The well known autolytic 

 enzyme which causes proteolysis with greatest activity in a weakly 

 acid medium, and (b) an enzyme which after activation with acid 

 (like trypsin formed from trypsinogen of the pancreas) digests with 

 greatest activity in a weakly alkaline medium. 



The normal blood serum contains enzymes which digest pro- 

 teins. Serum undergoes slight autolysis in the presence of an acid 

 medium (0.2 per cent, acetic acid) but fails to autolyze in a neutral 

 or alkaline medium (0.2 per cent, sodium carbonate). Neverthe- 

 less Hedin has shown that the globulin fraction of the serum ob- 

 tained by one-third saturation with ammonium sulphate contains 

 an enzyme which digests protein in alkaline or neutral media but 

 is inactive in acid. The albumin fraction of the serum obtained by 

 complete saturation with ammonium sulphate after removal of the 

 globulin contains a thermo-labile antibody which inhibits the action 

 of the enzyme associated with the globulin fraction, so that the 

 mixture of globulin and albumin in the whole serum causes no 

 proteolysis. 



In our experiments the attempt has been made to determine if 

 changes occur in the enzymes or antienzymes of the blood serum 

 during the course of chloroform poisoning. 



The following experiment, representing a considerable number, 

 illustrates the increased proteolysis in acid which occurs at the end 

 of three days as the result of daily administration of chloroform — 

 at a time when there is advanced necrosis of the liver and tem- 

 porary diminution or complete absence of the coagulability of the 

 blood. 



Autolysis of 3 c.c. of Blood Serum in Acid. 



First Day. Fourth Day. Fifth Day. 

 Control 1.0 1.1 1.8 



After 5 days at 37° C. 3.7 5.05 4.9 



No noteworthy increase of proteolytic activity in the presence 

 of neutral or alkaline media is produced by poisoning with 

 chloroform. 



Since there is close analogy between degenerative changes in 

 the liver and post-mortem autolysis, the attempt has been made 

 to determine if with chloroform poisoning there is any loss of the 



