Am.  Jour,  Pharmi 
Jan.,  1893. 
Protcids. 
37 
ordinary  solvents,  has  no  poisonous  effect  upon  dogs  even  in  daily 
doses  of  5  grm.  Malonanilic  acid,  which  may  be  regarded  as  an 
acetanilide  in  which  a  hydroxyl  of  the  methyl-group  is  replaced  by 
carboxyl,  melts  at  1350  ;  it  crystallizes  in  transparent  laminae,  and 
is  readily  soluble  in  ether,  alcohol  and  water.  The  sodium  salt  of 
malonanilic  acid  has  been  found  perfectly  inactive  in  febrile  affec- 
tions. Paraphenacetine-carbonic  acid,  a  phenacetine  substituted 
with  carboxyl,  melts  at  1340,  crystallizes  in  rhombic  needles,  is 
readily  soluble  in  alcohol,  but  sparingly  in  water.  Whilst  phena- 
cetine exerts  well-known  characteristic  effects,  capable  of  thera- 
peutic utilization,  phenacetine-carbonic  acid  is  perfectly  inert. — 
Archiv.  de  Science  Biologique  de  St.  Petersburg  ;  Chemiker  Zeitung  ; 
Chem.  News,  Sept.  30,  1892. 
PROTEIDS.1 
By  Edmund  White,  B.Sc,  F.I.C. 
The  term  proteid  includes  a  very  large  number  of  substances 
universally  distributed  throughout  the  animal  and  vegetable  king- 
doms and  intimately  associated  with  living  matter.  Elementary 
analysis  shows  that  they  contain  carbon,  hydrogen,  oxygen,  nitrogen 
and  sulphur.  It  further  shows  that  the  proportions  in  which  these 
elements  combine  to  form  proteid  substances  vary,  within  certain 
limits,  in  different  members  of  the  group,  the  usual  range  being  . 
Carbon.     Hydrogen.     Oxygen.     Nitrogen.  Sulphur, 
p.c.  p.c.  p.c.  p.e.  p.c. 
50-55       6-5-7-5  20-24         15-17  -3-2-4 
Proteids  were  formerly  known  as  "  albumins"  or  "  albuminoids."  It 
is  better,  however,  to  use  these  terms  in  a  more  restricted  sense,  the 
term  albumin  being  reserved  for  one  variety  of  proteid,  and  albumi- 
noids for  a  group  of  bodies  related  to  proteids,  including  such  sub- 
stances as  gelatin  and  mucin  though  differing  from  proteids  in 
constitution  and  physiological  significance.  Proteids  constitute  an 
essential  constituent  of  our  food  stuffs.  They  are  present  in  every 
living  animal  and  vegetable  cell  and  consequently  are  always  present 
in  our  food.  The  general  proteid  reactions  may  be  demonstrated  on 
a  solution  of  white  of  egg  which  contains  about  12  per  cent,  of 
1  Read  before  the  School  of  Pharmacy  Students'  Association  ;  Pharm.  Jour, 
and  Trans.,  Dec  3,  1892,  p.  450. 
