[ToC]

 

George D. McLaughlin and Edwin R. Theis, "Notes on Animal Skin Composition," Journal of the American Leather Chemists Association, August 1924

EMPIRICAL SYSTEM FOR SEPARATING THE DIFFERENT PROTEINS FROM TISSUE.

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Our experimental methods for protein separation (graphically illustrated [above]) were not greatly unlike Rosenthal's, except that we did not dry the skin out before examination. These methods are empirical; they are, however, the best available in the light of our meager knowledge of protein composition. Since experimental methods are the same throughout, the comparisons, at least, are accurate.

The fresh corium of steer hide contains 61 per cent H20, cow 63.11 per cent and calf 63.35 per cent. If we divide whole fresh steer hide into three sections, so that the top section represents 20 per cent of the total skin weight, the middle section 50 per cent and the bottom section 30 per cent, and determine the moisture content of each section, it is found that the top contains 74.35 per cent H20, middle 61.00 per cent and bottom 29.78 per cent.