The ultraviolet spectrum of haemoglobin and its derivatives.

SINCE Soret [1883] described an ultraviolet absorption band in three of the haemoglobin series, numerous investigations have been carried out on the ultraviolet absorption spectrum of the blood pigment and its immediate derivatives. The haemoglobin compounds were investigated by Gamgee [1895] who pointed out that there was a specific ultraviolet band common to oxyhaemoglobin, reduced haemoglobin, carbon monoxide haemoglobin, nitrous oxide haemoglobin, haemochromogens, haematin hydrochloride, methaemoglobin and haematoporphyrin which was absent from the spectra of bilirubin, hydrobilirubin and urobilin. Kobert [1900] investigated several haemoglobin compounds and demonstrated the existence of a band in the ultraviolet which was common to the spectra of oxyhaemoglobin, carbon monoxide haemoglobin, alkaline methaemoglobin and cyanide haemoglobin and concluded that there was a structure common to these compounds which possessed this band. Subsequent investigations have fixed the position of the band as follows: