No. 2, March, 1921] PHYSIOLOGY 195 



and the diificulties pointed out. The taking up of colloidal substances by the roots is referred 

 to. The author considers it still undecided as to whether or not the roots are able to secrete 

 ferments acting on substances in the soil and rendering them available for absorption. Myco- 

 rhiza and the competition of various soil organisms are also briefly discussed. Important 

 recent French and American results are not included. — Orton L. Clark. 



1308. EwART, A. .J. On the synthesis of sugars from formaldehyde, carbon dioxide and 

 water. Proc. Roy. Soc. Victoria N. S. 31: 379-387. 1919. — The polymerization of formalde- 

 hyde to sugar by alkalies and alkaline carbonates was investigated. The main conditions 

 for a high proportion of sugar were appropriate dilution and high temperature (100° to 110°C.). 

 The byproducts were formates and methyl alcohol. The most rapid reaction was produced 

 by sodium hydrate. In the presence of a neutral calcium salt, the amount of sugar conden- 

 sation was greatly increased, less alkali was required, and less formate produced. Neutral 

 barium and strontium salts were less effective as condensing catalytic agents. The sugar 

 mixture is optically inactive, and contains reducing pentoses and reducing fermentable hex- 

 oses. Carbon dioxide and water are readily polymerized to sugar by the aid of magnesium. — 

 Eloise Gerry. 



1309. Freudenberg, K. Uber Gerbstoffe 4: Peters, D. Hamameli Tannin (II). [Con- 

 cerning tannin 4: Peters, D. Hamameli tannin (II).] Ber. Deutsch. Chem. Ges. 53: 953-961. 

 1920. — Evidence is presented to show that the crystoUoidal tannin obtained from Hamamelis 

 contains a previously unknown sugar closely related to the hexoses. — Henry Schmitz. 



1310. Friedmann, W. C. The carbohydrates of the pecan. Jour. Amer. Chem. Soc. 42: 

 2286-2288. 1920. 



1311. GoRis, A., AXD Ch. ViscHNiAC. Caracteres ct Composition du Primeverosc. [Char- 

 acteristics and composition of "primeverose."] Compt. Rend. Acad. Sci. Paris 169: 871-873. 

 1919. — Two glucosides isolated from Primula officinalis Jacq. — "Prime verine," and "primula- 

 verine," respectively — on hydrolysis by a specific enzyme — "primeverase" — yield among other 

 products a "biose" which the author calls "primeverose." The chemical and physical char- 

 acteristics of this substance were studied at length. It was found to have among other prop- 

 erties the power to reduce Fehling's solution and when hydrolysis was effected by means of 

 sulphuric acid the resulting mixture yielded osazones of glucose and xylose. The author 

 concludes that "primeverose" is a biose built up from xylose and glucose. — V. H. Young. 



1312. JuDD, Hilda M. The iodometric estimation of sugars. Biochem. Jour. 14: 255- 

 262. 1920. — A modification of the iodometric sugar method of Colin and Lievin, and that 

 of Willstatter and Schudel, is devised, the basis of which is the fact that a constant weight of 

 iodine always reacts with a given weight of sugar, and that this weight of iodine is not affected 

 by changes in the amount of alkali present, or by the presence of other sugars in the solution. 

 The author makes special application of the method to the estimation of sugars in fruit juices. 

 — Alva R. Davis. 



1313. Kaulfersch, F. tJber die Bestimmung von in Zellmembranen eingeschlossener 

 Starke mit Hilfe von Kupferoxydammoniak. [Determination of the starch enclosed in cell 

 membranes by means of copper ammonium oxide.] Zeitschr. Untersuch. Nahrungs- u. Genuss- 

 mittel 39:344-346. 1920. 



1314. Klason, p. tJber Lignin und Lignin Reaktionen. [Concerning lignin and ignin 

 reactions.] Ber. Deutsch. Chem. Ges. 53:706-711. 1920. — Experiments dealing with the 

 chemical reactions of lignin indicate that the lignin molecule contains coniferyl aldfehyde. 

 The action of sodium sulphite on lignin is thus explained. — Henry Schmitz. 



1315. LaForge, F. B. Sedoheptose, a new sugar from Sedimi spectabile. II. Jour. 

 Biol. Chem. 42: 367-374. 1920. 



