Determination of Glycogen in the Liver. 21 



the heterochromosome-complex or " X-element " (Wilson), con- 

 tributed by the spermatozoon, as an inhibitor to male sex. 

 Regarded in terms of Mendelian concepts, however, an apparent 

 contradiction results in that the presence of a determiner (inhibitor 

 to maleness) would here have to be recessive to its absence. But 

 in terms of a quantitative interpretation two X-elements in the 

 zygote would prevent, one X-element permit, the development of 

 male sex. Similarly with respect to the phenomenon of sex- 

 limited heredity: the X-element may act as the inhibitor in the 

 female to the male-limited character. 



15 (7ii) 



A comparison of chemical with microchemical methods for the 

 determination of varying amounts of glycogen in the liver. 



By G. Y. RUSK. 



[From the Hearst Laboratory of Pathology and Bacteriology, Uni- 

 versity of California.] 



In collaboration with Dr. F. P. Gay, a study has been made of 

 the glycogen in the livers of 22 rabbits, comparing the chemically 

 determined amount with the histological appearance with a view 

 to finding the value of the latter for comparing small differences in 

 glycogen content. Pfliiger's method was employed as far as the 

 conversion of glycogen to glucose and for the quantitative estima- 

 tion of the latter Bertrand's method was used. For the histological 

 picture, Best's carmine method and Langerhans' modification of 

 Ehrlich's iodine method were employed. 



The following table gives the comparative results. The chem- 

 ical factors are reduced to a common denominator, viz., the amount 

 of copper which is reduced by 100 gm. of liver, and arranged from 

 the highest to lowest amounts. The histological results are placed 

 in a parallel column. While in the main there is faily close correla- 

 tion, yet there are two striking discrepancies (No. 23 and No. 24). 



This study presents, so far as we can determine, the first 

 attempt to correlate chemical and microchemical findings with a 

 view to utilizing the latter for comparing slight differences of 

 glycogen in the liver. The results do not warrant the assumption 



