120 
THE OXYGEN-CATALYSTS OF THE BLOOD. 
Certain oxidases, such as aldehydase and the glycolytic enzyme, 
peroxidases and catalases have been found in the blood, and also 
certain more stable oxygen-catalysts, such as hemoglobin and its 
iron-containing derivatives, and in the case of certain of the inverte- 
brates, hemocyanin, the oxidizing powers of which are not destroyed 
upon boiling. In this connection it is interesting to note that all 
of the oxygen carriers of the blood of whatever nature are contained 
in the formed elements and not in the plasma or serum. Even the 
cellular elements exhibit well marked and characteristic differences in 
their conduct toward oxidase and peroxidase reagents. Furthermore, 
various observers do not seem to be agreed with regard to the oxidiz- 
ing properties shown by the formed elements of the blood. Thus it 
was shown by Klebs in 1868 ( 250 ) that pus has the power of bluing 
guaiacum directly. On the other hand, according to Linossier ( 273 ), if 
one uses a freshly prepared tincture of guaiacum the superficial por- 
tion of the resin having been previously removed by washing with 
alcohol, the blue color is not produced upon addition of pus, but only 
after the addition of hydrogen peroxide. Hence, according to Linos- 
sier, pus (or white blood corpuscles) contains a peroxidase, but no 
oxidase. More recently, however, Meyer ( 300 ) has shown that in the 
perfectly fresh state the thick leucocyte layer obtained by centrifugal- 
izing the blood of patients suffering with myelogenous leucemia, 
gives no reaction with guaiacum. If, however, water be added and 
the mixture shaken a few moments, a very intense blue color develops. 
On the other hand, if the corpuscles be shaken with serum or with 
an isotonic salt solution no blue color develops. According to Meyer 
this shows that the leucocytes contain an oxidizing ferment (oxidase) 
which first becomes liberated or activated by the solution of the cells 
in water. Similarly a few drops of leucemic blood diluted with such 
a large amount of water that scarcely anv blood color was visible gave 
with guaiacum a deep blue color. He also observed that fresh un- 
treated pus gives no guaiacum reaction, but that when shaken with 
distilled water it gives the guaiacum reaction at once. He also found 
that these aqueous extracts of pus and leucocytes from myelogenous 
leucemia could oxidize phenolphthalin. He concludes, therefore, 
that the polynuclear and probably also the mononuclear, neutrophile 
cells contain a substance extractable with water which blues guaiacum 
without the addition of hydrogen peroxide, or in other words, that it 
contains an intracellular oxidizing ferment killed by boiling, but not 
at 73 ° C., and which, as found for other oxidases by Bach and Chodat, 
contains an oxygenase and a peroxidase. 
Reference has already been made to the fact that A. and L. Lumiere 
and Chevrotier ( 281 ) have prepared a protoplasmic extract of blood 
