Nitrogenous Metabolism in Chronic Nephritis. 8i 



finally disappears under these conditions. His method is not 

 applicable to cerebrospinal fluid. 



In contrast to the use of human complement the use of guinea- 

 pig's serum does not possess one of the disadvantages enumerated. 

 The quantity of complement is always uniform and definite. The 

 human complement does not affect the reaction, because the 

 amount present is too trifling to be of any influence. It is possible 

 moreover to employ for the tests an old specimen of blood, dried 

 or moist, by my method, since guinea-pig's complement is used. 

 Unlike Tschernogubow's the present method enables one to repeat 

 the test in case of need. 



Before leaving the subject I would like to point out certain 

 advantages from the technical standpoint of the method which I 

 recommend. The quantity of patient's serum ' required for the 

 test is only two capillary drops (one for each of the two tubes) 

 and no preliminary inactivation at 56° C. is necessary. The hemo- 

 lytic indicator is readily prepared from the patient or a normal 

 person by mixing the blood with physiological salt solution in the 

 ratio of one drop of the blood to 4 c.c. of the saline solution, i c.c. 

 of such suspension being used for each tube. The antigen, com- 

 plement and amboceptor can be used either in liquid or in dried 

 form. This latter, as prepared on filter paper slips, can be pre- 

 served permanently under ordinary conditions at room temperature 

 and be employed in place of the corresponding liquid reagents. 

 In this simple form the test should have a wide application to the 

 sero-diagnosis of syphilis and as a measure and control of the 

 efficient treatment of the disease. 



37 (375) 



On nitrogenous metabolism in chronic nephritis. 



By D. MANSON, L. KRISTELLER and P. A. LEVENE. 



\_From. the Chemical Laboratory of the Montefiore Hospital, 

 Neiv York.] 



The present work represents the results of observations on the 

 character of the nitrogenous metabolism in a patient who was 



' In case of cerebrospinal fluid use 0.2 c.c. for each tube. 



