252  Peptones  in  the  Blood  and  Urine.  {Am-&™;$&xm' 
Note  by  the  Editor,  Am.  Jour.  Phar. — In  connection  with 
the  above,  some  older  observations  deserve  to  be  mentioned.  Prof. 
C.  D.  Schroff  states  (Pharmacologic,  1862,  p.  142),  that  arbutin  taken 
in  doses  of  O'l,  0*2  and  0'5  gm.  did  not  produce  any  appreciable  re- 
sult ;  that  the  urine  was  not  altered,  either  in  amount  or  color,  and 
that  arbutin  could  not  be  detected  in  the  urine.  Husemann  and 
Hilger  (Pflanzenstoffe,  2d  edit.  p.  1127)  report  also  the  results  of  Jab- 
lonowski's  experiments,  according  to  which  no  effect  was  observed 
from  20.0  gm.  of  arbutin  taken  within  48  hours,  and  the  urine  con- 
tained neither  arbutin  nor  hydrokinone,  but  in  place  thereof  benzoic 
acid  and  a  humin  like  substance  insoluble  in  alcohol.  On  the  other 
hand,  hydrokinone-sulphonic  and  methyl-hydrokinone-sulphonic  acids 
were  found  in  the  urine  by  Mering,  after  arbutin  had  been  taken.  In 
view  of  these  conflicting  results  is  it  not  likely  that  the  effects  of  ar- 
butin are  materially  modified  by  the  presence  of  other  constituents  of 
uva  ursi,  like  ericolin,  gallic  acid,  and  the  peculiar  tannin  which  is 
present  ?  The  same  or  closely  allied  constituents  have  been  shown  to 
exist  also  in  other  semper virent  ericaceous  leaves,  like  chimaphila,  epi- 
gsea,  manzanita  (Arctostaphylos  glauca)  &c,  which  are  reputed  to  pos- 
sess diuretic  properties. 
PEPTONES  IN  THE  BLOOD  AND  UEINE. 
By  Georges. 
All  the  methods  hitherto  proposed  for  the  detection  of  peptones  in 
urine  are  more  or  less  defective.  The  author  gives  the  preference  to 
the  two  following  : — 
I.  This  has  been  recently  employed  by  Wassermann  for  the  detec- 
tion of  peptones  in  the  blood.  The  blood  is  received  in  strong  alco- 
hol ;  the  clot  thrown  on  a  filter  is  washed  first  with  cold  then  with 
boiling  water ;  the  aqueous  solution  is  concentrated  to  about  double 
the  volume  of  the  blood  taken,  and  then  added  to  the  alcoholic  solu- 
tion ;  sodium  acetate  and  ferric  chloride  are  now  added  to  the  liquid. 
After  filtration  a  cooling,  the  last  traces  of  albumin  are  removed  by 
adding  potassium  ferrocyanide  and  acetic  acid,  filtered,  the  excess  of 
ferrocyanide  precipitated  by  copper  acetate,  filtered,  excess  of  .  copper 
removed  by  hydrogen  sulphide;  filtered  again,  and  heated  on  the 
water- bath  to  expel  hydrogen  sulphide  and  to  concentrate  the  liquid. 
This  method  gives  good  results,  especially  if  care  be  taken  to  neutral- 
