264 PHYSIOLOGY [BoT. Absts., Vol. IX, 



glossin, is now found in 3 other orchids besides in the 2 previously reported [see also Bot. 

 Absts. 8, Entry 582].— C. H. Farr. 



1626. FuLMER, Ellis I., Victor E. Nelson, and F. F. Sherwood. The nutritional 

 requirements of yeast. I. The role of vitamines in the growth of yeast. Jour. Amer. Chem. 

 Soc. 43: 186-191. 1921. — This paper presents data showing that water soluble B is not a 

 necessary constituent of a medium for the growth of yeast. — J. M. Brannon. 



1627. KoHLER, Denise. Variation des acides organiques au cours de la pigmentation 

 anthocyanique. [Variation in the organic acids during the formation of anthocyan pigments.] 

 Compt. Rend. Acad. Sci. Paris 172: 709-711. 1921. — This is a study of anthocyan formation in 

 the corolla of Cobaea scandens, the leaves of Ampelopsis tricuspidata, etc. An increase in 

 organic acids was found in all cases in which the part of the plant experimented on was left 

 attached to the plant; but no such increase occurred if the part was detached. In buckwheat 

 leaves more acids are formed in darkness than in light. — C. H. Farr. 



1628. LoEB, Jacques. La chimie des proteins et des colloides. [The chemistry of proteins 

 and colloids.] Rev. G^n. Sci. Pures et Appl. 32: 197-202. 1921.— This is a translation by 

 G. Loewj'and and W. Westrezat of an article appearing in Science 52: 449—456. 1920. — 

 H.W. Anderson. 



1629. Postern AK, S. Sur la constitution chimique et la synthese du principe phosphoorga- 

 nique de reserve des plantes vertes. [Chemical composition and syntheis of the phosphoorganic 

 reserve substance in green plants.] Compt. Rend. Soc. Phys. et Hist. Nat. Gendve 37: 70-74. 

 1920. — The compound often designated phytic acid has never been found outside of green 

 plants, where it occurs in seeds, tubers, rhizomes, and bulbs. It is found in the aleurone layer 

 as a double salt of calcium and magnesium ; also in the oily seeds of Picea excelsa, Cannabis 

 saliva, and Cucurbita pepo. The investigation of the compound is made possible by the 

 discovery of the crystallizable double salt C6Hi2027P6Ca4Na8. The free acid is found to have 

 the composition C6H24O27P6, which upon hydrolysis splits up thus: C6H24O27P6 + SHjO 

 = C6H12O6 + 6H3PO4, the reaction pointing toward the substance being inositehexaphos- 

 phoric ether of the formula C6H18O24P6. The substance, however, differs from the latter in 

 having the equivalent of 3 additional molecules of water of constitution, which cannot be 

 driven off without decomposing the material. The synthesis of inositehexaphosphoric 

 ether shows, however, that it is indeed identical with the substance in question, and possesses 

 the peculiarity of retaining 3 molecules H2O so firmly as to resist dehydration without the 

 attendant decomposition. — Charles Drechsler. 



METABOLISM (ENZYMES, FERMENTATION) 



1630. Battelli, F., ET L. Stern. Oxydations et reductions fennentatives. [Oxydations 

 and reductions by enzymes.] Comp. Rend. Soc. Phys. et Hist. Nut. Geneve 37: 65-68. 1920. — 

 The author investigated the plausibility of Wieland's views concerning the action of oxydases 

 in biological oxidations, according to which these behave like platinum black, activating the 

 hydrogen of reducing substances, and transferring it to substances combining with the latter. 

 This theory rests on the hypothesis that oxidations and reductions are effected by the same 

 enzymes. The author also studied the action of oxydases known to be present in the tissue 

 of higher animals on compounds oxidized by them, in the presence of thionine. The oxydases 

 of citric acid, succinic acid, phenylenediamine, uric acid, and alcohol were thus investigated. 

 The results were held to confirm Wieland's hypothesis of the identity of oxydases and reducta- 

 ses; but they indicated, too, that his hypothesis concerning the mechanism of oxidations was 

 wrong, this being explained better by a modification of Traube's theory modernized by the 

 introduction of a knowledge of ionization. — Charles Drechsler. 



1631. Epstein, Alexandre. L'activite d'un ferment en fonctionde la tension superficielle 

 du milieu. [The activity of an enzyme in relation to surface tension of medium.] Compt. 



