RECENT WORK IN AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE. 



AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY— AGROTECHNY. 



The biological reactions of the vegetable proteins, H. G. Wells and T. B. 

 OsBORNK (Jour. Infcc. Diseai^cs, 8 (1911), No. 1, pp. 66-12Jt). — These experi- 

 ments were performed with the globulin obtained from the castor bean, flax 

 seed, and squash seed, with edestin from the hemp seed, excelsin from the 

 Brazil nut. proteins from the coconut, legumin from the vetch, legumin and 

 vicilin from the pea. vignin from the cowpea, glycinin from the soy bean, 

 gliadin from wheat and rye flour, hordein from barley, and zein from maize. 

 All of these were found to produce typical anaphylaxis in sensitized animals, the 

 condition possessing all of the characteristics which are present when ana- 

 phylaxis is i)roduced with serum or other animal substances containing soluble 

 proteins. 



It was found that considerable differences in toxicity were produced by the 

 various proteins. " The most toxic proteins, as measured by the frequency of 

 severe and fatal reactions, were the globulin of the squash seed, vignin, ex- 

 celsin, and castor-be:in globulin, which usually caused death when given in 

 0.1 gm. doses to properly sensitized animals. Edestin caused the least severe 

 reactions of any of the proteins, while hordein and glj'Cinin seldom caused fatal 

 reactions; nevertheless, the minimum sensitizing and intoxicating doses of 

 edestin and squash-seed globulin are essentially the same." 



The experiments showed, furthermore, that where continuous feeding was 

 done with the proteins, the guinea pigs became immune to the proteins and could 

 not be sensitized to them. There was a marked specificity shown within cer- 

 tain limits by the proteins, and a close similarity, if not identity, of the le-* 

 gum ins of the pea and vetch and the close relation to the vicilin of the pea 

 was shown by the interaction of these proteins. The probable identity of the 

 gliadius from wheat and rye, or at least their near relation, was also estab- 

 lished. "In some instances doubtful results were obtained, for example with 

 some guinea pigs castor-bean globulin and flax-seed globulin interacted 

 sti'ongly. while with others similarly treated no reactions were obtained." 



The aporrhegmas, D. Ackermann and F. Kutscher (Ztschr. Physiol. Chem., 

 69 (1910), No. 3-^, pp. 265-212; abs. in Chem. Ahs., 5 (1911), No. 6, p. 1112).— 

 The authors propose the name " aporrhegma " to designate all the fragments 

 of amino acids which arise during the physiological cycle of plants or animals. 

 They believe that the cleavage of amino acids in the tissues of higher plants 

 and animals goes on in the same manner, and has the same intermediary 

 products as are involved in the biochemical processes of the putrefactive 

 organisms. The paper also discusses methylated aporrhegmas, the significance 

 of methylation, the origin and distribution of betains in plants, etc. 



Apparatus for collecting and measuring the gases evolved during fer- 

 mentation, A. Harden, .J. Thompson, and W. J. Young ( Bio-Che m. Jour., 5 

 (1910), No. 5, pp. 230-235, figs. 2).— The apparatus is described and illustrated. 



The precipitation of the sulphate ion as barium sulphate, E. Ruppin 

 (Chem. Ztg., 34 (1910), No. 135, p. 1201).— The author proposes the following 



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