ORGANIC CHEMISTRY 



201 



nitrogenous products. The reaction with nitrite takes pre- 

 cedence of the polymerisation of the activated formaldehyde 

 to sugars, but when the activated formaldehyde is produced 

 at a rate greater than that at which it can react with the 

 nitrite or with the formhydroxamic acid formed, the excess 

 polymerises to reducing sugars, the two reactions taking place 

 simultaneously and independently. When a solution of 

 formhydroxamic acid containing formaldehyde is exposed to 

 ultra-violet light for twelve hours, the product evaporated 

 with the addition of hydrochloric acid, the residue made 

 alkaline and extracted with ether, nitrogenous bodies are 

 obtained of an alkaloidal nature. Two different substances 

 have been obtained in this way, one a volatile oil and the 

 other a low-melting solid, both of which give crystalline salts 

 with acids and positive tests with all the usual reagents for 

 alkaloids. The alkaline solution on reacidifying, evaporating 

 to dryness, and extracting with alcohol gave a mixture of 

 hydrochlorides of at least one substituted a-amino-acid giving 

 the characteristic reaction of these bodies with triketohydrin- 

 dene hydrate ; the presence of histidine is suspected on account 

 of the colour reaction with diazobenzene-sulphonic acid. The 

 course of phytosynthesis is represented thus : 



Potassium nitrate 

 Potassium nitrite 



Carbonic acid 

 Activated formaldehyde 



I 



Formhydroxamic acid 



I 



Nitrogen bases 



4- 



Alkaloids and Xantliine 

 derivatives 



Y 

 Hexoses 



^ 



i 



a-Amino-acids 



I 



Substituted a-Ammo-acids 

 (Histidine, etc.) 



I 



Proteins. 



An interesting, if speculative, account is given of the prob- 

 able course, from the chemical point of view, of the various 

 reactions taking place. The reactivity of activated formal- 

 dehyde is regarded as being due to the compound existing in 



