ADeceXrfhi9T9.'  )  AUe9ed  Food  Value  of  Saccharin.  811 
Further  experiments  were  reported  in  191 8  by  Shepheard  and 
Lillie  (see  Prescribe)-,  May,  1918.  p.  96).  These  investigators  sep- 
arated from  the  drug  a  crystalline  bitter  principle,  but  whole  prepara- 
tions of  the  drug  itself  gave  fairly  satisfactory  results,  those  from 
the  bitter  principle  were  inconclusive. 
Experiments  were  also  made  by  Sellards  and  Mclver,  of  Boston. 
U.  S.  A.,  who  paid  special  attention  to  the  chemical  examination  of 
the  material  (Jour.  Pharm.  and  Exper.  Therap.,  1918,  II,  331  ;  May). 
An  extended  analysis  of  the  material  led  to  the  separation  of  a 
product  which  appears  to  be  a  glucoside  or  similar  compound.  It 
reduces  Fehling's  solution,  especially  after  hydrolysis  with  hydro- 
chloric acid.  Its  most  characteristic  chemical  feature  was  a  pro- 
nounced colour  reaction  with  sulphuric  acid.  A  blue  colour  ap- 
peared, which  changed  to  purple.,  and  later  to  brown.  The  sub- 
stance that  was  separated  was  found  to  be  toxic  for  small  animals. 
This  product  has  been  tested  among  three  patients  suffering  acute 
typical  amoebic  dysentery.  The  patients  received  one  gm.  of  the 
powder  three  times  daily  at  the  beginning  of  meals.  Xo  other  treat- 
ment was  adopted.  On  the  second  day  of  treatment  two  of  the 
patients  improved.  On  the  fifth  day  of  treatment  a  thorough  exam- 
ination of  the  faeces  failed  to  reveal  amoebae.  Some  days  later, 
purging  yielded  stools  free  from  Entamoeba  histolytica.  The  third 
patient  had  twice  previously  been  "  cured  "  by  emetine.,  but  had  re- 
lapsed. Treatment  with  the  principle  obtained  from  chaparro  pro- 
duced a  freedom  from  amoebae  which  has  been  maintained  for  some 
time. 
THE  ALLEGED  FOOD  VALUE  OF  SACCHARIN.1 
Xot  long  ago  my  attention  was  directed  in  the  Journal2  to  the 
subject  of  physiologic  oxidation  and  its  alleged  relation  to  certain 
catalytic  properites  of  the  tissues.  The  latter.,  and  particularly  the 
blood,  are  capable  of  liberating  oxygen  from  hydrogen  peroxid  by 
an  enzyme-like  reaction  which  has  been  ascribed  to  "  catalase.'"  It 
has  been  assumed  by  a  few  investigators,  notably  Burge.  that  a 
measure  of  this  catalytic  power  of  the  tissues  is  an  index  of  their 
metabolic  activity.    YVe  need  not  reiterate  here  the  criticisms  of  this 
1  From  Jour.  Amer.  Med.  Asso.,  Nov.  8.  1919. 
2  "  Oxidation  in  the  Body,"  editorial,  /.  A.  M.  A.,  72:  1679  (June/).  1919- 
