THE SO-CALLED NORMAL ALCOHOL OF THE BODY

Abstract
The trace of volatile reducing material obtained on steam-distilling fresh animal tissues or fluids was found to be largely not preformed alcohol since it continued to be evolved at a slowly diminishing rate long after all pre-formed alcohol would have been removed. Fresh specimens of animal material were promptly steam-distilled, 2 successive fractions of distillate were collected, purified, concentrated and tested for reducing power by a modified dichromate method. Controls with added alcohol showed almost complete recovery in the first fraction. After deducting the reducing material of fraction 2 from that of fraction 1 the remainder was calculated as alcohol. The resulting figures for "max. normal alcohol," expressed as mgm. of alcohol per 100 gm. of sample were: blood 0.0-0.027, brain 0.049-0.119, liver 0.085-0227, kidney 0.044-0.142, muscle 0.037-0.227, and urine 0.060-0.185. These figures are much lower than those reported by most previous investigators.