40 ( 1 04) Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine. 



kinds of cells in vitro. Definite quantities of organ pulp were placed 

 in specially constructed tubes and anaerobic conditions were estab- 

 lished by the passage of nitrous oxid gas. Definite quantities of 

 methylene blue of known strength were then added. The rate of 

 reduction was indicated by the disappearance of the blue color 

 owing to the reduction of the animal cells. It was shown that in 

 vitro the influence of temperature is the same as that observed in 

 the living organism. The influence of alkali in accelerating reduc- 

 tion was also shown. The action of salts and various poisons is 

 at present the subject of investigation. 



14 (60). " Some medical applications of the naphthoquinon 

 sodium mono -sulfonate reactions," with demonstrations : C. 

 A. HERTER. 



The author demonstrated a substance of singularly great powers 

 of condensation with other organic substances, this condensation 

 resulting in the formation of colored bodies. He demonstrated 

 especially the reactions of naphthoquinon sodium mono-sulfonate 

 with anilin and various amins, with nicotin, conin, piperidin, and 

 finally with indol, skatol and pyrrol. The reactions with indol, 

 skatol and pyrrol possess unusual physiological and chemical 

 interest and will form the subjects of future publications. 



The reaction with pyrrol occurs in the cold and is evidenced 

 by the deepening red which on the addition of alkali changes to 

 purple, violet, blue and finally reddish-brown. The addition of 

 acid to the red solution obtained without alkali is followed by the 

 development of a green and finally brown color. These color 

 reactions (and particularly the one dependent on acids) occur with 

 such rapidity if one uses concentrated heated solutions of pyrrol, 

 that the characteristic color stages may be of extremely short 

 duration. This reaction with pyrrol is a highly characteristic one, 

 and should prove of service to chemists. 



Among the biological and medical applications of the naph- 

 thoquinon sodium mono-sulfonate reactions, the author mentioned 

 the study of various aromatic compounds in the organism, the 

 occurrence of certain intravital syntheses, the detection in the 

 urine of organic compounds, such as para-amidophenol, and the 

 development of a method of staining the bile capillaries by means 

 of intravenous infusion of the derivatives of the naphthoquinon 



