18
fuging the substance and thus driving out all material other than the
purely colloidal, he found that much better results were obtained.
With this centrifuge, also, he was able to secure albumen-free milk.
He likewise found that if he took vegetable material and centrifuged
it, both the water and soluble material could be thrown out, the
residue being perfectly dry. Dr. Friedenthal has centrifuged
finely powdered vegetable material for use in making a vegetable milk
or vegetable solution, which he substitutes for animal milk in feeding
infants in an infant asylum in which he is interested.
In discussing with him the question of the active mass of proto¬
plasmic tissue, I found that he believes the body is in part a machine
and in part living protoplasm. He thinks that all contractile sub¬
stances form a part of the machine and that if he could only determine
the metabolism of the living matter he would find the same metabolism
per kilogram regardless of whether the measurements were made on an
elephant, a man, or a rabbit. If curare is used it would prevent
muscular activity. It occurred to me at the time that it might be
interesting to see what the metabolism per kilogram is of the eggs of
the snake, the turtle, and the ostrich.
Dr. Friedenthal is one of the most interesting men I ever met.
He is peculiar in his ways and contentious. In fact, he is con¬
sidered as altogether too argumentative and contentious in the meet¬
ings of the Physiological Society. He has had several clashes, I
understand, with Hubner. On the other hand, he certainly is a most
original thinker and well worth visiting.