No. 1, May, 1921] PHYSIOLOGY 85 



PHYSIOLOGY 



B. M. DuGGAE, Editor 

 Carroll W. Dodge, Assistant Editor 



(See also in this issue Entries 12, 31, 32, 80, 342, 369, 370, 378, 412, 427, 512, 514, 515, 516, 



517, 539) 



GENERAL 



599. Anonymous. [Rev. of : Onslow, M. W. Practical plant biochemistry. vii + 178p. 

 University Press: Cambridge, 1920.] Nature 106: 176. 1920.— See Bot. Absts. 8, Entry 602. 



600. Anonymous. [Rev. of: Zsigmondy, R. The chemistry of colloids. (Trans, by 

 Ellwood, B. Spear.) x + 288 p. John Wiley & Sons: New York, 1917.] Sci. Prog. [Lon- 

 don] 14: 687-688. 1920. 



601. MoLiscH, Hans. Pfianzenphysiologie als Theorie der Gartnerei. [Plant physiology 

 as a theory of horticulture.] 3 ed., xi + 326 p., 145 fig. Gustav Fischer: Jena, 1920. — The 

 2 earlier editions of this work appeared during the war, and consequently are perhaps little 

 known to other than German readers. Further than to note a rather general revision of the 

 book, it is necessary to outline briefly the method of treatment. Nutrition, including salt 

 requirements, soil relations, photosynthesis, transpiration, the movement of food sub- 

 stances, and certain special topics, constitutes about one-third of the book; and, apparently 

 in accord with its purpose, there is no general discussion of metabolism. After a very brief 

 treatment of respiration, about SO pages are devoted to growth, under which caption is 

 included environmental relations, growth movements, organ formation, and the rest period. 

 In this chapter particularly, many horticultural practises are analyzed. The effects of cold, 

 freezing, are briefly presented; and this is followed by an e.xtended chapter on reproduction, 

 both vegetative and sexual, with ample consideration of such processes and phenomena as 

 grafting, chimeras, parthenocarpy, stuffed flowers, etc. In the last 2 chapters there are 

 inextensive accounts of seed germination and of variability, heredity, and plant production. 

 — B. M. Duggar. 



602. Onslow, M. W. Practical plant biochemistry. 178 p. University Press: Cam- 

 bridge, 1920. — The author presents this book neither as an organic chemistry (an elementary 

 knowledge of which is assumed) nor as a plant physiology, but rather to fill the gap which 

 she conceives to exist between the two fields. A very brief characterization is made in the 

 introduction to the classes of organic compounds in plants; the importance of the synthetic 

 and condensation processes; properties associated with the colloidal state; and the signifi- 

 cance of chlorophyll, enzymes, and the regulation and control of metabolism. Nine topics 

 follow, namelj', the colloidal state, enzyme action, carbon assimilation, carbohydrates and 

 their hydrolyzing enzymes, the fats and lipases, aromatic compounds and oxidizing enzymes, 

 the proteins and proteases, glucosides and glucoside-splitting enzymes, and the plant 

 bases. In general each chapter treats in appropriate order 2 aspects of the particular topic. 

 On the one hand there is a condensed account of the occurrence, chemical properties and 

 other characteristics of the products included, together with practical directions for experi- 

 ments on the preparation or identification of the more important groups or compounds. On 

 the other hand brief suggestions are usually given concerning the present knowledge of the 

 course of metabolism, especially the formation and hydrolysis (or decomposition) of the 

 materials discussed, with suitable experiments to demonstrate the action of any enzymes 

 catalyzing the reaction. — The biochemistry of certain special fermentation processes, respi- 

 ration, and salt nutrition are among the topics not included in this work. At the end of 

 each topic adequate references are given to texts and special articles. [See Bot. Absts. 8, 

 Entry 599.]— B. M. Duggar. 



