Am.  jour.  Pharm.j   Creatinin  and  Creatin  in  the  Blood.  i 
February,  19 19.  J 
by  means  of  a  gravity  bottle  was  0.79536,  corresponding  to  99.44 
per  cent,  by  weight  of  alcohol. 
The  percentage  of  alcohol  found  in  a  sample  of  whiskey  was 
39.45  using  our  method,  and  39.47  by  distillation  (using  ice). 
Numerous  estimations  have  been  made  in  alcohol  solutions  and 
spirituous  liquors  by  this  simple  method  and  in  many  cases  the 
results  have  been  tested  and  confirmed  by  hydrometer  readings.  The 
results  obtained  were  almost  identical  by  the  two  methods.  The 
point  at  which  there  is  some  slight  disagreement  between  our  ex- 
perimental figures  and  those  of  published  tables  (Tralles'  tables), 
is  where  the  apparent  coefficient  of  expansion- of  the  alcohol  hydrate 
is  0.001076.  This  might  be  urged  as  additional  evidence  for  the 
existence  of  this  hydrate. 
In  conclusion  it  may  be  mentioned  that  the  method  is  quite  accu- 
rate even  though  not  more  than  5  Cc.  of  the  liquor  under  examina- 
tion be  used.  Solids  in  solution  do  not  affect  the  result.  Loss  by 
evaporation  is  prevented,  as  distillation  is  avoided  and  readings  are 
taken  in  closed  tubes.  Ice  is  not  required  even  if  the  temperature 
be  high.    This  method  is  equally  applicable  to  methyl  alcohol. 
Hindu  University  Chemical  Laboratory, 
Benares,  India. 
CREATININ  AND  CREATIN  IN  THE  BLOOD.1 
The  more  recent  quantitative  microchemical  studies  of  the  blood 
have  indicated  that  among  the  non-protein  nitrogenous  constituents 
the  Estimation  of  creatinin  is  likely  to  be  of  especial  service  from  a 
diagnostic  and  prognostic  standpoint.  There  are  few,  if  any,  nor- 
mal nitrogenous  components  of  the  urine  for  which  the  kidneys  are 
more  permeable ;  so  that  when  creatinin  begins  to  accumulate  tn 
undue  proportions  in  the  circulating  blood,  there  can  be  little  ques- 
tion as  to  the  seriousness  of  the  finding. 
But  what  constitutes  an  abnormally  high  content  of  creatinin 
in  the  blood?  Folin  and  Denis  placed  the  normal  limits  at  from  1 
to  1.4  Mg.  per  hundred  Cc. ;  according  to  Myers  and  Fine,  who 
have  accumulated  exceptionally  extensive  statistics  on  this  question, 
the  range  is  set  at  from  1  to  2  Mg.  Other  investigators  have  been 
in  essential  accord  with  such  figures.    Only  Gettler  and  Baker  indi- 
1  From  The  Journal  of  the  American  Medical  Association. 
