230 
The  Nomenclature  of  the  Proteins. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharai 
May..  1907. 
RECOMMENDATIONS  AS  TO  THE  NOMENCLATURE  OF 
THE  PROTEINS.1 
It  is  well  known  that  much  confusion  arises  at  the  present  time 
from  the  lack  of  any  understanding,  either  here  or  abroad,  as  to  the 
exact  sense  in  which  the  various  names  applied  to  proteins  (Prote- 
instoffe,  Eiweisskorper,  albuminoids)  and  their  derivatives  shall  be 
used.  No  little  difficulty  is  created  by  the  use  of  a  term  in  different 
senses,  as  well  as  ambiguity  of  meaning  in  some  cases.  It  appeared 
desirable,  therefore,  to  lay  down  rules  for  the  guidance  of  students 
and  workers,  at  all  events  in  this  country,  which  would  tend  to 
promote  some  degree  of  uniformity  of  usage.  It  was  obviously 
desirable  to  retain  existing  terms  as  far  as  possible,  especially  as  it 
was  clear  that  the  time  is  not  yet  come  to  coin  strictly  systematic 
names  and  that  only  provisional  recommendations  are  desirable  in 
the  existing  state  of  knowledge. 
The  following  report  is  the  outcome  of  a  prolonged  consideration 
of  the  subject  by  a  number  of  chemists  and  physiologists.  The 
original  committee  was  called  into  being  by  the  Physiological 
Society;  its  members  were  nominated  by  the  two  societies.  The 
report  of  the  committee  was  subjected  to  criticism,  both  by  the 
Physiological  Society  and  by  the  Publication  Committee  of  the 
Chemical  Society.  At  the  instance  of  the  latter  body  a  number  of 
chemists  specially  interested  in  the  subject  then  took  the  matter 
into  consideration  in  conjunction  with  a  few  representatives  of  the 
Physiological  Society ;  finally,  a  draft  report  embodying  the  con- 
clusions arrived  at  was  prepared  by  Drs.  Halliburton  and  Hopkins, 
which  was  considered  and  amended  at  a  meeting  of  the  Publication 
Committee  of  the  Chemical  Society,  at  which  the  physiologists  were 
present. 
RECOMMENDATIONS. 
I.  The  word  proteid — which  is  used  in  different  senses  in  this 
country  and  in  Germany — should  be  abolished. 
II.  The  word  protein  is  recommended  as  the  general  name  of  the 
whole  group  of  substances  under  consideration.  It  is  at  present  so 
used  both  in  America  and  Germany.  It  admits  readily  of  the  use 
of  such  derived  words  as  protease  and  proteose.  If  used  at  all,  the 
term  albuminoid  should  be  regarded  as  a  synonym  of  protein. 
1  Reprinted  from  the  Pharmaceutical  Journal,  March  9,  1907^- 
