No. 1, August, 1920] PHYSIOLOGY 123 



inactivation of sera the reaction possibilities of the serum globulins are changed in two ways: 

 it is separated from the NaCl equivalent with more difficulty; and the salt removal acts on 

 the protein molecule itself, as is seen in the closer binding of the salt on warming the sera. — 

 C. W. Dodge. 



886. Morishima, Kanichiro. Phenol red-china blue as indicator in fermentation tests 

 of bacterial cultures. Jour. Infect. Diseases 26: 43-44. 1920. — An indicator is proposed con- 

 sisting of phenol red and decolorized china blue for fermentation tests of bacterial cultures. 

 The production of acid causes first a bright green color changing to a deep blue, when too 

 much acid is formed. The production of alkali is indicated by a pink color. — Selman A. 

 Waksman. 



887. Posternak, M. S. Sur la constitution du principe phospho-organique de reserve 

 des plantes vertes. [On the constitution of the phospho-organic principle in the reserve of green 

 plants.] Compt. Rend. Acad. Sci. Paris 169: 37^12. 1919. — An attempt is made to determine 

 whether or not the phospho-organic reserve of plants is or is not a hexa-phosphate of inosite. 

 The author plans experiments on the synthesis of this compound to determine whether or not 

 3 molecules of water are held as water of crystallization or are an essential constituent of the 

 molecule. — V. II. Young. 



888. Sherman, H. C. Protein requirement of maintenance in man and the nutritive 

 efficiency of bread protein. Jour. Biol. Chem. 41: 97-109. 1920. — The proteins of wheat, 

 corn, and oats appear to be about equally efficient in human nutrition, and need only be sup- 

 plemented by small amounts of milk in order to be fully as efficient as the proteins of ordinary 

 mixed diets. — G. B. Rigg. 



889. Steenbock, H., and P. W. Boutwell. Fat-soluble vitamine. III. The compara- 

 tive value of white and yellow maizes. Jour. Biol. Chem. 41 : 81-96. pi. 2. 1920. — The occur- 

 rence of yellow pigment and the growth-promoting property attributed to the presence of 

 the fat-soluble vitamine seem to be intimately associated in the maize kernel. — G. B. Rigg. 



890. Willaman, J. J. The function of vitamines in the metabolism of Sclerotinia cinerea. 

 Jour. Amer. Chem. Soc. 42: 549-585. 1920. — The basal medium for these tests was Ctjrrie's 

 mineral solution plus asparagin (as a source of nitrogen), plus sucrose. Growth was com- 

 pleted in 10 days; sporulation began the third or fourth day. "The amount of vegetation is 

 not proportional to the concentration of the juice, the fungus being unable to utilize the 

 greater amounts of nutrients in the same degree that it does the lesser." "Reproduction is 

 more abundant on the peach juice than on the others," i.e., prune juice and apricot juice. 

 "The higher concentrations are not necessarily the optimum for reproduction." The fungus 

 can make excellent growth on either asparagine or glycine, providing the growth-promoting 

 material of the 2 cc. of prune juice is also present. It was also shown that diammonium 

 hydrogen phosphate alone would not produce growth; that wort alone will support growth 

 fairly well; and the two together make an excellent medium for growth. The vitamine prep- 

 aration served to make the ammonia nitrogen more useful to the fungus. Vitamine B was 

 obtained by means of Lloyd's alkaloidal reagent. It adsorbs the vitamine from an acid solu- 

 tion and releases it in an alkaline one Pectin interferes with the adsorption of the vitamine. 

 65 per cent alcohol, to which a few drops of 1 per cent H2SO4 was added, was used for the prep- 

 aration of the vitamine. When pectin has been removed, the vitamine will pass through a 

 colloidin sac. — The author presents evidence that two vitamines are concerned in the life 

 cycle of Sclerotinia cinerea. One enables vegetative growth to take place and is more readily 

 adsorbed by Fuller's earth on an alcohol medium; the other enables the fungus to sporulate 

 w T ell and is more readily adsorbed in an aqueous medium. Evidence given shows that the 

 shuffling of the nitrogen and sugar constituents of the medium will not of itself determine 

 the occurrence or non-occurrence of reproduction in Sclerotinia. Both vitamines must be 

 present if reproduction is to occur. Other evidence presented would indicate the presence 

 of but one vitamine. — ./. M. Brennan. 



