Protoplasmic Movement and Quinine. - Journal of Cell Science

682 PEOFESSOB DR. E. BINZ.
Protoplasmic Movement and Quinine.
By
Prof. Dr. E. Blnz,
ill Bonn.
IN NO. XCV of this Journal, July, 1884, p. 396, the following
sentence occurs in the translation of the treatise of Professor
Engelmann in Utrecht from L. Hermann's 'Handbook of
Physiology :'
"Binz 1 and others have observed that quinine exercises a
strongly destructive action on many kinds of protoplasm and
on colourless blood-corpuscles. On the other hand, I have
given frogs such large doses of quinine sulphate by subcutaneous
injection as to kill them, and have observed the lymphcorpuscles
after some hours in active movement."
My pupil, C. Scharrenbroich, now physician in Pallanza, has
already published a reply to this statement of Engelmann. 2
He has shown that the discordant statement of Engelmann
rests on two reasons : on a different manner of making the
experiment I describe, and on a false interpretation of the
stunted movements which Engelmann still saw in the colourless
blood-corpuscles of his frogs. Professor Engelmann was good
enough soon afterwards to write me as follows:
1 C. Binz, " Ueber die Einwiiknng des Chinin auf Protoplasmabewegung,"
'Arch. f. mikrosk. Anat.,' iii, p. 383, 1867.
* " Einiges Alte fiber Chinin," ' Arch. f. Pathol. u. Pharmakol.,' xii, p. 33
1879.

PROTOPLASMIC MOVEMENT AND QUININE. 683
" UTRECHT, June 2Ltf, 1880.
" DEAH COLLEAGUE,—Allow me to add a few words to the
dissertation of my pupil, C. ten Bosch, on Chinamine, which
.1 sent to you to-day. As you will see from the work, in case
the Dutch does not prevent you from reading it, I have made
comparative researches with C. ten Bosch on the action of
Chinamine and Quinine on elementary organisms, especially
on white blood-corpuscles, and have thereby had opportunity
to confirm your important results as to the extremely intense
action of quinine on contractile blood-cells, also to
verify the superiority of this body to Chinamine, which in other
respects far exceeds the action of Quinine.
" I am glad thus to clear away a little mistake which I
have caused through my over-sceptical remarks in L. Hermann's
' Handbook' (art., " Protoplasmic Movement"). If
I can render you a service thereby I will gladly publish a
notice as to the settlement of this difference anywhere you
think suitable, perhaps in continuation of Dr. Scharrenbroich's
article.
" Of course the remarks as to Quinine will be altered in a
possible second edition of the first volume of Hermann's
* Handbook.' The fact on which my sceptical remarks rest is
beyond doubt, but it cannot form the basis of an objection to
your statements. I am, &c, yours,
" TH. W. ENGELMANN."
" To Prof. Dr. BINZ, Bonn."
It appears to me that the matter is thus settled. But should
anyone wish for further confirmation of what I have published
on the influence of quinine on protoplasm in the above quoted
and in later papers, I would refer to the following:
(1) G. Kerner, ' Arch. f. d. ges. Physiologie,' iii, p. 136,
tab. ii, v, p. 27; vii, p. 135, 1870—1873.
(2) Buchanan Baxter, ' The Practitioner,' a journal for
therapeutics and public health, London, xi, p. 324, 1873.

684 PROFESSOR DR. E. BINZ.
(3) Ch. Darwin, ' Insectivorous Plants/ London, 1875, pp.
201—203.
(4) T. Appert, ' Arch. f. pathol. Anatomie/ lxxi, p. 364,
1877 (from Professor Arnold's laboratory, Heidelberg).
(5) C. Fr. W. Krukenberg, ' Vergleichend. physiolog.
Studien,' Heidelberg, 1880, i, p. 8.