The Croonian lectures on some points in the pathology of rheumatism, gout and diabetes : delivered at the Royal College of Physicians, London, March 30, April 1, 6, 1886 / by P.W. Latham.

Latham, Peter Wallwork.

Date:: 1887

Credit: The Croonian lectures on some points in the pathology of rheumatism, gout and diabetes : delivered at the Royal College of Physicians, London, March 30, April 1, 6, 1886 / by P.W. Latham. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

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$methyl hydantoin, and then combined with biuret, forms am- monium urate. (IsrH.CH3 (NH, iNK^ (COOH [NH, \n . CH3 - CH^. COOH sarcosine urea methyl hydantoic acid NH^ (NH CO CO-^ =C0-^ I +Hp N. CH3 - CH^ - COOH [n . CH3 - CH^ methyl hydantoic acid methyl hydantoin (N.CH3-CH^ COJ o\ I + ;nh (nH CO CO J methyl hydantoin biuret CO-NH (N.CH3-C CO + NH-f-HO -co] II I (NH C - NH methyl uric acid. Now methyl hydantoin has been actually formed after the administration of sarcosine to a living animal, and detected in the urine. Considerable discussion took place at the time this was announced, as to whether or not methyl hydantoin really appeared in the urine, and a number of experiments were made by Schultzen, &c. The importance attached to the question at the time arose from the fact, that it appeared to demonstrate the existence of carbamic acid in the animal system, and to show that this acid was the immediate precursor of urea. A good deal may be advanced in favour of this view of the formation of urea. I have however endeavoured to show that the antecedent of urea is ammonium cyanate; and as methyl hydantoin has been formed by mixing together sarcosine, potassium cyanate and ammonium sulphate, and digesting them at the temperature of the body A$