28 



Scientific Proceedings (117). 



after death" a reaction of P H = 7.00 in normal liver, but inasmuch 

 as beef and pig livers were used, it is probable that the source of 

 supply was slaughter-house material as in previous work in the 

 series, while there is nothing to indicate that the experiment with 

 horse liver involved the incipient stages, so that no data seem to 

 have been given which would permit one to judge how soon post 

 mortem the experiments were conducted. Here, as in the studies 

 of Dernby, the colorimetric method involving dialysis was em- 

 ployed (p. 263, I.e.). The writers are unable to find in bio- 

 chemical literature any other studies of this nature and the follow- 

 ing results of their work are presented with the view of interesting 

 investigators in the problem where facilities are available for 

 furthur work. 



Method. — Guinea pigs were used, the pig being struck on the 

 head with an iron mallet, laparotomy rapidly performed, the liver 

 exposed and frozen in situ by means of an ethyl chloride spray. 

 Then the liver was excised while the heart still beat, transferred to 

 a cold mortar in an ice-bath at — 5° C, wherein it was ground to a 

 snow. The temperature of the liver mass, however, varied but 

 little from zero Centigrade; in this connection it is well to recall 

 the findings of Foster and Moyle 1 in studies on muscle, where ex- 

 posure to temperatures of from — 5 0 C. to — 8° C. led to relatively 

 great development of acidity (lactic), the low temperature acting 

 similarly to mechanical injury. The snow obtained in this way 

 was transferred to the electrode vessel of the gas chain apparatus 2 

 and the temperature of the mass within the vessel was brought 

 rapidly to about 20 0 C. by means of the warm hand. Potenti- 

 ometer readings were made at frequent intervals and the readings 

 followed for thirty-six hours. The contents of the vessel were 

 agitated, moderately, by means of a stirrer, operated by a small 

 motor. In order to check the apparatus, controls were run on 

 S0rensen NaOH — KH 2 P0 4 buffer mixtures, the variation from 

 the expected being but slight in any one case. By this means, 

 likewise, the time for reaching equilibrium was established as far 

 as the phosphate-alkali mixtures were concerned, twelve minutes 



1 Foster, D. L., and Moyle, D. M., Biochem. J., 1921, xv, 334. 



2 The writers were permitted to use the apparatus belonging to the Department 

 of Soils, West Virginia University. 



