A text-book of physiological chemistry

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Preface To The Second German Edition

After the appearance of the first Swedish edition of this text-book I was asked by several colaborers abroad to provide a German translation, which was at that time impossible for several reasons. But I found it very difficult to decline a similar proposal which I received from many colleagues after the second edition appeared.

I yielded, therefore, to their expressed wishes; but I found after a time that it was impossible to obtain a translator in this special province of science, notwithstanding the unwearied exertions of my publisher. Nothing remained for me but to undertake the translation myself ; hence I ask the reader’s indulgence for possible idiomatic or literal errors.

Specialists will at once perceive that the book before them is not a complete or detailed text-book. My intention was merely to supply students and physicians with a condensed and as far as possible objective representation of the principal results of physiologico-chemical research and also with the principal features of physiologico-chemical methods of work. It seems to me that I have followed a common, practical, even if not strictly correct usage in allowing space in this book to the more important pathologico-chemical facts, although I have given the book the title Text-book of Physiological Chemistry.

The arrangement of subject-matter, which deviates considerably from that generally followed in text-books, was caused by the manner in which physiological chemistry is studied in Sweden. Here physiologico- and pathologico-chemical laboratory practice is obligatory on all students of medicine. In the arrangement of such practical work I continually kept in view that it should not consist of isolated, purely chemical or analyticochemical problems, but that, as far as possible, it should always go hand in hand with the study of the different chapters of chemical physiology.

The study of physiologico-chemical processes within the animal body must precede the study of its component parts, its fluids and tissues; and this latter study, according to my experience, will then only inspire true

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PREFACE TO THE SECOND GERMAN EDITION.

nterest if the study of the physiological significauce of those component )arts be closely pursued in connection with that of the transformations which ake place in these fluids and tissues.

In view of this arrangement of subject-matter, and in order to render ny book of greater interest and utility to those who do not wish to take sognizauce of its analytico-cheniical part, I have distinguished the latter by lifferent setting of the type. With the exception of urinary analysis, which )ractically is of peculiar importance and which has been treated somewhat ilaborately, this part in general depicts only the main points in the methods )f preparation and of analytical methods. The instructor who superintends he laboratory practice and who chooses the problems for work has ample )pportunity to give the beginner the necessary advanced directions, and for lie more experienced student, as well as for the specialist, the excellent vorks of Hoppe-Seyler, Neubauer-Huppert, and others render more ‘xplicit directions superfluous.

OlOE llAMMARSTElSr.

Upsala, October, 1890,

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Preface To The Third German Edition

The present edition, ■which differs from the second in the arrangement of matter, contains three ne'W chapters. The wonderful development of our knowledge of the chemistry of the carbohydrates in recent times has made it necessary to introduce a special chapter on this subject; and as the two chief groups of organic foods, the protein substances and the carbohydrates, are treated of in special chapters, the third group, the fats, likewise has a chapter devoted to it. It also appears appropriate to treat the rather extensive subject of the chemistry of respiration in a special chajiter and not, as heretofore, in connection with the blood. Another deviation from the earlier editions is that the present edition is supplied with the references to the literature, in pursuance of the request made on many sides. This edition is also thoroughly revised and enlarged according to the advancement of the science; still it was naturally impossible to incorporate into the text the various papers appearing or accessible to me during the printing of this edition.

Olof Hammaesteh.

UrsALA, April, 1895.

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Preface To The Fourth German Edition

As this work is not a complete liandbook, but only a concise text-book for students and physicians, I have considered it very deshable, in the preparation of this edition, not to enlarge the size of the volume. In view of the vast amount of new material supplied during the last four years, this task was a very difficult one, and its accomplishment was made possible only by excluding those theories which in the light of recent researches have become obsolete, and by condensing some portions of the matter of the previous edition. For this purpose a thorough revision of some of the chapters and a complete rewriting of others were necessary. By means of a new, space-saving arrangement of foot-notes the number of references to literature has been increased. The original plan of the book, however, remains unchanged.

Olof Hammarsten.

Upsala, ApHl 17, 1899.

TRANSLATOR’S PREFACE TO THE THIRD AMERICAN EDITION.

Recognizing the importance of keeping a text-book up to date, and especially one on a subject which is making such rapid advances as physiological chemistry, I was lead to make a translation of the fourth German edition soon after the second American edition was issued. The author’s addenda have been incorporated into the text, bringing the available literature up to April 1.

John A. Mandel.

November, 1899.

PHYSIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY.

CIIAPTEK I.