i6 2 THOMPSON YATES AND JOHNSTON LABORATORIES REPORT 
It was observed by E. Salkowski in 1888 that blood could not be preserved by 
adding chloroform, because it gradually became converted into a thick mass. 
In 1 89 1 it was observed by Horbaczewski 1 that haemoglobin was precipitated 
from a solution containing it, and kept at a temperature of 40-50 0 C, to which 
chloroform was added as a preservative. 
The subject was investigated more minutely by Formanek* in 1900, and this 
observer found that a solution of haemoglobin kept at 50-5 5 0 C. for some time with 
chloroform was completely precipitated, the filtrate being entirely free from haemo- 
globin. 
Formanek dried and analysed the precipitate, and from the absence of chlorine 
after fusion with sodium carbonate and potassium nitrate came to the conclusion that 
the precipitate is not a chloroform compound of haemoglobin. In our opinion this 
is not a valid proof, as the chloroform need not be so stably combined with the 
chloroform as to stand drying at 130 0 C, and subsequent fusion as employed by 
Formanek. The precipitate was dissolved by Formanek after thorough washing to 
remove the chloroform by the addition of a few drops of sodium carbonate solution, 
and the solution gave the bands of oxy-haemoglobin, and on treatment with ammonium 
sulphide reduced haemoglobin. Formanek also found that blood serum and egg- 
albumin were precipitated (when the reaction of the fluid was acid or neutral) on 
keeping at a temperature of 50-55 0 C. in presence of chloroform. From these 
experiments this observer came to the conclusion that the precipitate with which he 
was dealing was a mixture of haemoglobin and other proteids thrown out of solution 
by the chloroform. It is also stated in this paper that oxy-haemoglobin is only slowly 
and incompletely precipitated by the action of chloroform at room temperatures. 
E. Salkowski, in his later paper, 3 states that blood kept at a temperature of 
40 0 C. for 24-48 hours in presence of chloroform changes to a thick mass, but 
found that the precipitation of the haemoglobin was not complete under such 
circumstances. 
Regarding the action of chloroform on serum, he states that serum can be 
preserved in contact with chloroform for years without precipitation at room tempera- 
tures, and finds this in agreement with Formanek's results, who found, in presence 
of an alkaline reaction, no precipitation of serum by chloroform even at a temperature 
of 50-55° C. Formanek does not state whether his alkaline reaction is the natural 
alkaline reaction of the serum. Salkowski also found a precipitating action of 
chloroform upon solutions of albumose and casein. 4 
Our experiments were conducted with haemoglobin and serum obtained from 
1. Quoted by Formanek, loc. at. 
2. Zeitsch.f. physiol. Chen., B.I. XXIX (1900), S. 416 
3. Zeitsch.f. physiol. Chem., Bd. XXXI (1900), S. 329. 
4. The chemical properties of the precipitate caused by the chloroform have been investigated by E. S. Edie, B.Sc, and 
the results obtained are recorded in the paper immediately following this, p. 195. 
