RECENT WORK IN AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE. 



AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY— AGROTECHNY. 



Handbook of biochemistry of man and animals, edited by C. Oppenheimeb 

 (Handbuch der Biochemie des Menschen iind der Tiere. Jena, 1909-10, vols. 1, 

 pp. XXIV-\-932, figs. 43; 2, pt. 1, pp. /Z+720, figs. 12; pt. 2, pp. VII+S91, fig. 1; 

 S, pt. 1, pp. XII+783, figs. 6; pt. 2, pp. VII+3Jt8; 4, Pt- 2, pp. VI+595, figs. 

 9; 1911, vol. Jf, pt. 1, pp. VII+885, figs. 8, dgms. 16). — This work constitutes a 

 handbook of biological chemistry of man and animals, and provides a digest 

 of laboratory methods, experimental research, and theoretical matter. The 

 different chapters are contributed by specialists, and throughout references are 

 given to original sources of information. Parts of the work have already been 

 noted (E. S. R., 25, p. 609). 



Volume 1 deals with the chemical constituents of animal substance ; volume 2, 

 part 1, with the biochemistry of the cell, and part 2, with the biochemistry of 

 tissues and organs; volume 3, part 1, with glands and their excretions, and 

 part 2, with nutrition, digestion, and resorption ; and volume 4, part 2, with 

 energy metabolism, metabolic relations of mother and fetus, metabolism under 

 pathological conditions, total metabolism of nonmammalian vertebrates and in- 

 vertebrates, and the physico-chemical basis of ferment action. 



General index of the Zeitschrift fiir Angewandte Chemie, 1887-1907, 

 compiled by B. Raffow and E. M. MiJLLEB {General Register der Zeitschrift 

 fiir Angewandte Chemie, Jahrgdnge 1887 his 1907. Leipsic, 1910, pp. 609). — 

 This is the name and subject index for this journal from 1887 to 1907. 



On the " heat coagulation " of proteins. — II, The action of hot water upon 

 egg albumin and the influence of acid and salts upon reaction velocity, 

 Harriette Chick and C. J. Martin (Jour. Physiol., 43 {1911), No. 1, pp. 

 1-27). — Some of the conclusions drawn from this study of coagulation of egg 

 albumin from the standpoint of physical chemistry are given below. See also 

 previous work (E. S. R., 23, p. 612). 



"•Heat coagulation' of egg albumin consists of two processes, viz, (1) the 

 reaction between the protein and hot water ('denaturation '), and (2) the 

 separation of the altered protein in a particulate form (agglutination). 



"The action of hot water on egg albumin, which constitutes the first stage 

 in ' heat coagulation,' is, if means be taken to prevent change in acidity during 

 the process, a reaction of the first order. The same was previously found to 

 be true for hemoglobin. 



" During the process, as the protein is precipitated, free acid is progressively 

 removed from the solution. The consequent progi-essive diminution in the 

 acidity of the solution accounts for the fact that the reaction appeared to be 

 of a more complicated character." 



Further experiments on the fixation of acid by pure egg albumin in the cold, 

 showing the relation of the amount of acid fixed to the acidity of the solution 

 and the reversibility of the process are presented. 



Sulphur linkages in proteins, T. B. Johnson {Jotir. Biol. Chem., 9 {1911), 

 No. 6, pp. 439-448) .—Fvom a summary of data the author concludes that prob- 

 306 



