446  Test  for  Albumin  and  Other  Proteids.{Am-ie°^i^rm- 
the  animal  or  by  a  process  not  accompanied  by  such  serious  draw- 
backs. 
Dr.  Davis  confirms  the  opinion  which  has  gradually  gained 
ground  that  while  sterilized  milk  may  be  useful  as  a  remedy  in  vari- 
ous bowel  complaints,  it  is  not  sufficient  to  sustain  life.  If  sterilized 
milk  is  desired,  Dr.  Leeds  recommends  that,  after  being  rendered 
feebly  alkaline  with  lime  water,  the  milk  should  be  heated  to  1 5 5  ° 
F.  for  six  minutes  ;  or,  still  better,  the  treatment  in  alkaline  solution, 
with  pancreatin  at  15  50,  followed,  if  not  immediately  used,  by 
momentary  heating  to  the  boiling-point.  Either  of  these  procedures 
Dr.  Leeds  maintains,  will  render  milk  sterile  without  detracting 
from  its  digestibility. — Therapeutic  Gazette,  July,  1 891 . 
A  NEW  TEST  FOR  ALBUMIN  AND  OTHER  PROTEIDS.1 
By  John  A.  MacWilliam. 
The  reagent  is  a  saturated  watery  solution  of  salicyl-sulphonic 
acid,  a  white  crystalline  substance  readily  soluble  in  water  and  alco- 
hol. It  precipitates  all  classes  of  proteids :  1,  native  albumins 
(egg-albumin  and  serum-albumin);  2,  derived  albumins  (acid-al- 
bumin and  alkali-albumin) ;  3,  globulins  (e.  g.}  serum  globulin  and 
myosin)  ;  4,  fibrin  (whether  held  in  solution  by  dilute  alkalies  or  by 
neutral  salts  ;  5,  proteoses  (albumoses,  etc.);  6,  peptones. 
With  all  these  the  reagent  at  once  forms  a  dense,  bulky,  white  pre- 
cipitate. This  precipitate  is  not  redissolved  on  boiling,  except  in 
the  case  of  an  albumose  or  peptone.  The  precipitate  is  readily 
soluble  in  a  dilute  alkali,  provided  a  sufficiency  of  the  alkaline  solu- 
tion be  added.  It  is  not  soluble  in  weak  acids,  nor  in  strong  acids 
unless  a  large  quantity  of  strong  acid  (such  as  nitric)  is  added. 
The  method  of  testing  is  as  follows  :  Take  a  small  amount  of 
urine  (for  example,  20  minims),  preferably  in  a  very  small  test-tube, 
and  add  a  drop  or  two  of  a  saturated  watery  solution  of  the  reagent. 
If  the  urine  is  strongly  alkaline  an  extra  drop  or  two  of  the  acid 
should  be  added,  and  if  no  opalescence  or  precipitate  occurs  it  is 
well  to  test  the  reaction  with  litmus,  and  make  sure  that  the  urine 
has  been  made  strongly  acid.  On  adding  the  reagent,  shake  the 
tube  quickly  so  as  to  mix  its  contents  ;  then  examine  at  once.  The 
occurrence  of  an  opalescence  or  cloudiness  immediately  or  within  a 
1  Brit.  Med.  Journ.,  No.  1581 ;  Amer.  Journ.  Med.  Scien.  Aug.,  1891. 
