COMPARATIVE PROTEIN CHEMISTRY

THE COMPOSITION OF THE PROTEINS OF HUMAN TEETH AND FISH SCALES

¹ The Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, New York Medical College, Flower and Fifth Avenue Hospitals, New York, N. Y., and the Biochemical Research Laboratory, Elgin State Hospital, Elgin, Ill.

By performing the decalcification under vacuum it has been possible to reduce the time required for this process to one-tenth. The rate of the process is proportional to the vaccum. For that reason it is recommended to use a rather high degree of vacuum (about 74 cm. Hg.).

The quality of the slides obtained in this way is usually better, no disadvantages have been observed after using the method for 6 months.

It is pointed out that nitric acid usually is applied in a concentration more that three times stronger than trichloracetic acid. This may explain the faster decalcification with nitric acid and the better result obtained with trichloracetic acid.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				P. T. Levine, M. J. Glimcher, and L. C. Bonar Collagenous Layer Covering the Crown Enamel of Unerupted Permanent Human Teeth Science, December 25, 1964; 146(3652): 1676 - 1678. [Abstract] [PDF]