The Study of Autolysis by Physico-chemical

In previous papers’ were reported the results of studies on the influence of the thyroid and kidney on post mortem autolysis of liver tissue at body temperature. These experiments were carried on by different methods; (1) by ascertaining the proportion of nitrogen which existed in different forms, (a) coagulable, (b) non-coagulable but precipitable by zinc sulphate in acid solution, (c) neither coagulable nor precipitable by zinc sulphate; (2) by determining the amount of depression of the freezing point; (3) by the rise in the electrical conductivity of the autolyzing mixture. The experiments as carried out failed to show that either thyroid or kidney extracts have any influence upon the rate of autolysis of liver tissue in vitro. Finding that the physico-chemical methods offered certain exceptional advantages as a means of study of autolysis, as contrasted with methods in common use, we have applied them in a number of experiments in order to become more familiar with their value and limitations; incidentally, observations have been made upon the rate of autolysis in different tissues, the availability of different antiseptics for the study of autolysis by physico-chemical methods, and the inhibitory action of blood serum upon autolytic processes.