SOME ACTIVE PRINCIPLES OF PEPTONE

¹ Pharmacology Department, University College, London

1. All peptones examined contain a general plain muscle stimulant, whose actions somewhat resemble those of extracts of the posterior lobe of the pituitary.

2. Certain peptones contain a substance which has a very powerful sympathetico-mimetic action.

3. These two substances are soluble in absolute alcohol, insoluble in ether and dialyse freely.

4. No evidence was obtained that any histamine was present in any of the peptones examined.

5. The lethal action of the peptones injected intravenously into mice is due chiefly to alcohol insoluble substances.

6. A highly toxic alcohol soluble substance can be produced from peptones by boiling them with alcohol containing either alkali or acid. This substance appears to be identical with Vaughan and Wheeler's alcohol soluble protein poison; it is probably present in untreated peptones in small amounts; its actions are quite distinct from those of histamine.