CHROMOGEN OF PAX C RE A TIC DIGESTION. 42 7 
decomposition. Lysine forms a platinochloride (C.H 1} >,\.< >.,, H.PtCl ( .+ 
C 2 H 5 OH) which is insoluble in 50 per cent, alcohol, in which the corre- 
sponding lysatine salt is soluble, and by this means the two bases may be 
separated; or they may be separated by means of the difference in solubility 
of their silver salts. 1 
Lysine, C H 14 Xo< '.,, in composition corresponds to a diamido-caproic acid 
(C-Ii,(XHA_,COOH) ; its solutions are dextrorotatory, but, like leucine and 
glutamic acid, become inactive when heated with baryta water to loO' C. The 
salts of lysine are crystalline, but the base itself has not been obtained in a 
crystalline form. 
Lysatine or lysatinine yields a crystalline silver salt of the composition 
C 6 H 13 N 3 2 , HN0 3 +AgN0 3 , from which the formula of the base follows as 
C 6 H 13 N 3 0. 2 , except, as is supposed probable, the silver salt contains a molecule 
of water of crystallisation, in which case the formula of the base would be 
C l .H n X.,0. With the former formula it would be homologous with creatine, 
with the latter homologous with creatinine, and woitld be most properly 
called lysatine or lysatinine accordingly. 
Creatine is C\H _,X 3 2 and creatinine is C 4 H-X 3 0. The new base may be 
either lysatine with the "formula C 6 H 13 N 3 2 , or lysatinine with the formula 
C, H u X 3 ; in either case being the second higher number in a homologous 
series, that is differing in formula by (CH 2 ) 2 . 
Another similarity to creatine invests this organic base with its most 
important physiological interest. Creatine when boiled with baryta water 
splits up into sarcosin (or methyl-glycocoll) and urea ; similarly treated, 
lysatine also yields urea. Drechsel treated the lysatine obtained from 
10 grms. of the silver salt above referred to with excess of baryta water, 
and obtained 1 grm. of urea nitrate, from which he isolated and identified 
the urea. This is all the more interesting from the fact that creatine, 
although it occurs in the body under such circumstances as leave little 
doubt that it is formed as a decomposition product of proteids, has not 
yet been obtained artificially as a direct product of proteid decomposition. 
Lysatine has not only been so obtained, but also as a product of pancreatic 
digestion, and urea having been obtained from this, has consequently been 
obtained as a product of proteid decomposition. 
Hedin - obtained from 3 kilos, of moist fibrin, 28 grms. of pure platino- 
chloride of lysine, and enough of the silver salt of lysatinine to establish 
its identity. 
Ammonia is found as a constant product in the artificial decomposition of 
proteids, as might be inferred from what has been stated concerning lysatine, 
and its formation has also been shown in pancreatic digestion. Hirschler :; 
has shown that in the entire absence of putrefaction, in so short a period as 
four hours, small quantities of ammonia appear in the pancreatic digestion of 
fibrin ; this result has been confirmed by Stadelmann. 4 
The chrornogen of pancreatic digestion. — As early as 1831 it was 
observed, by Tiedemann and Gmelin, 5 that the pancreatic juice of the dog takes 
on a rose-red colour when mixed with chlorine water. Claude Bernard next 
showed that no such reaction is obtained with fresh pancreatic juice, but first 
appears after the juice has been kept for some time without putrefaction setting 
in ; if putrefaction takes place, the reaction is also not obtained. The product 
giving this colour reaction is now definitely recognised as a product of pancreatic 
digestion, and not a constituent of pancreatic juice. For it the name trypto- 
1 For details of these processes see Gamgee, "Physiological Chemistry," London, 1893. 
vol. ii. p. 2".". 
2 Arch. f. An at. u. Physiol., Leipzig, 1891, S. 273. 
3 Ztschr.f. phvslol '. Chem., Strassburg, 1880, Bd. x. S. 302. 
4 Ztschr.f. Biol, Miinchen, 1888, Bd. xxiv. S. 261. 
5 "Die Venlauung nach Yersuchen," Heidelberg, 1831. 
