SCIENTIFIC PROCEEDINGS 



Abstracts of Communications. 

 Eighty-fifth meeting. 



Cornell University Medical College, October 17, 1917- 



President Gies in the chair. 



105 (1283) 

 The estimation of cholesterol in blood. 



By Ludwig Kast, V. C. Myers and Emma L. Wardell. 



[From the Department of Medicine and Laboratory of Pathological 

 Chemistry, New York Post-Graduate Medical School and Hospital.] 



The methods which are in use at present for the colorimetric 

 estimation of cholesterol in blood are either time-consuming or of 

 questionable accuracy. In connection with a study of the blood 

 lipoids in obesity, it seemed necessary to investigate further the 

 question of a suitable cholesterol method. For some time now 

 we have employed a procedure which is comparatively simple 

 and we believe to be very satisfactory. 



The method consists essentially in mixing one c.c. of whole 

 blood, plasma or serum with 4-5 grams of plaster of Paris, drying, 

 and extracting the powder directly with chloroform in a special 

 extraction apparatus. The plaster of Paris is emptied into a 

 small paper extraction shell (4 cm. long) and this inserted in a 

 short test tube (2.5 x6 cm.) in the bottom and sides of which are 

 a number of small holes. This is now attached to a large cork 

 on a small reflux condenser and the tube and cork inserted in the 

 neck of a 150 c.c. extraction flask containing about 20-25 c.c. of 

 chloroform. Extraction is continued for 30 minutes on an electric 

 hot plate, the chloroform made up to some suitable volume, such 

 as 20 c.c, filtered if necessary, and colorimetric estimation carried 

 out with the aid of the Liebermann-Burchard reaction, according 



