Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  \ 
April,  1892.  / 
Artificial  Human  Milk. 
203 
added  is  not  sufficient  to  precipitate  the  globulin,  yet  it  is  sufficient 
to  lessen  those  intramolecular  movements  which,  in  the  end,  pro- 
duce its  specific  action. 
The  action  of  peptone  in  hindering  coagulation  can  be  explained 
by  the  affinity  between  peptone  and  calcium  compounds.  It  thus 
prevents  these  from  converting  the  zymogene  into  the  ferment. 
This  view  is  supported  by  the  fact  that  other  substances,  like  soaps, 
which  combine  with  calcium  compounds,  produce  similar  symptoms 
to  those  set  up  by  peptone  (Munk).  Thus,  there  is  a  loss  of  coagula- 
bility of  the  blood,  low  blood  pressure,  suppression  of  secretions, 
and  even  death.  The  toxic  effects  appear  to  be  due  to  the  removal  of 
calcium  salts,  which  are  necessary,  as  Ringer  has  shown,  for  all 
vital  processes.  A  further  support  to  the  theory  is  obtained  from 
the  fact  that  injection  into  the  circulation  of  calcium  chloride  simul- 
taneously with  the  peptone,  or  after  the  peptone,  obviates  the  poi- 
sonous effects  of  the  latter;  peptone  is  then  no  longer  capable  of 
rendering  the  blood  uncoagulable.  Peptone  also  restrains  coagula- 
tion in  intravascular  plasma  (or  solutions  of  Hammarsten's  fibrin- 
ogen), provided  that  it  is  added  so  rapidly  that  the  zymogene  has 
not  had  time  to  combine  with  the  calcium  to  form  the  ferment. 
After  the  ferment  has  been  once  formed  in  the  plasma,  or  added  to 
the  solution  of  fibrinogen,  peptone  has  no  longer  any  hindering 
influence  on  coagulation. 
Wooldridge's  tissue  fibrinogens  appear  to  consist  of  proteid 
nuclei'n  and  lecithin.  They  contain  no  fibrin  ferment  until  they 
have  been  digested  for  some  time  with  a  little  calcium  chloride  ;  it 
is,  therefore,  considered  that  they  contain  the  zymogene  of  fibrin 
ferment,  and  their  action  in  producing  intravascular  coagulation 
is  explicable  on  the  theory  that,  in  the  blood,  they  come  into  con- 
tact with  calcium  compounds,  so  that  the  zymogene  is  then  con- 
verted into  the  ferment. 
ARTIFICIAL  HUMAN  MILK. 
By  T.  Maltby  Clague,  Pharmaceutical  Chemist. 
During  the  last  four  years  experiments  have  been  made  at  inter- 
vals, the  record  of  which  will  be  of  sufficient  interest  to  pharmacists 
to  warrant  publication. 
Attention  was  first  given  to  the  subject  through  the  request  of  a 
medical  practitioner,  who  desired  to  obtain  a  supply  of  food  for 
