TO PROFESSOR LINUS PAULING
FROM J. E. LEONARD
DATE: 3-29-52
SUBJECT The X-ray examination of muscle samples, numbers 1-176 from the mussel Mytilus Edulis and the rock scallop Rhinites.
1. Mytilus Edulis {Samples 1-69)
All of the samples yielded the characteristic α-keratin type diffraction pattern, with a strong equatorial spot at 9-10 A. and a sharp, well defined meridional arc at 5 A. Some samples appeared to be better oriented than others, but no additional details, indicative of higher crystallinity, were observed in the patterns.
Long spacings on the meridian of 19.5, 22.3, 24.4, 28.1, 31.9, 37.0, 48.4, 57.9, and 73.3 Å were observed on sample number 37 using the 15 cm. (flat film) vacuum camera, and the meridional spacing 1.52 + 0.01 Å was measured using the 2.865 cm. (Weissenberg) cylindrical camera.
2. Rhinites (Samples 70-176)
These samples displayed the sense α-keratin type small spacing diffraction pattern as was observed on those of Mytilus Edulis above. The orientation of the fibers was, in general, poorer than that of the former samples, and again no indication of higher crystallinity was obtained. No attempt was made to observe the long spacings on Rhinites muscle.
John E. Leonard
March
29, 1952
