AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY AGROTECHNV. 609 



shown to be very difficult of interpretation, and although they show that the 

 glucosids of tertiary alcohols are much more difficult to synthesize than those 

 of primary alcohols, no conclusion can be drawn as to complete absence of 

 reversibility in the former case. The glucosid formed by the action of acid 

 was found to be a mixture of a and )3 forms in the ratio of 75.3 parts of the 

 former to 24.7 juirts of the latter. The [a]D of the former is 91.2° and that of 

 the latter —38°. As regards emulsin and maltase in their behavior toward glu- 

 cosids, the same optical isomer is hydrolyzed and synthesized. Robertson's 

 'synthesis of paranuclein by pepsin ' is not a synthesis, nor is it produced by 

 pepsin, while the substance formed is not paranuclein. It is, in fact, a col- 

 loidal precipitation and has no connection with enzym action. 



" From the results given in this paper some general conclusions may be 

 drawn. Since we find that, in a simple system, easily investigated, the action 

 of an enzym, emulsin, is found to follow without exception the laws of catalysis 

 by a single agent, the conclusion seems .instified that, whenever we meet with 

 apparent deviations from such laws, instead of inventing new onzyms or mak- 

 ing assertions as to the nonapplicatiou of the laws of physical chemistry to 

 enzym action, we should endeavor to find the reasons for the divergence. Until 

 the impossibility of finding such reasons has been demonstrated, it is more in 

 accordance with scientific method to hold provisionally the application to all 

 enzyms of the laws which we can show to apply to so many. I think that we 

 ought, in the interest of clear conceptions, to go even farther and to deny the 

 application of the name ' enzym ' or ' ferment ' to any substance not manifesting 

 the properties of a catalyst." 



The mutual action of pepsin and trypsin, J. H. Long (Abi<. in Science, n. 

 ser., 38 (1913), No. 98Jf, p. 674). — Making due allowance for the reaction of the 

 medium, the experiments show that within the pr.ictical limits of body be- 

 havior trypsin has no important action on pepsin. Pepsin, on the other hand, 

 is markedly destructive to trypsin, and an acid medium weakens tiypsin. 

 Pepsin and acid present with trypsin in the same medium destroy the latter 

 rapidly. 



Experiments on the separation of the starch-liquefying from the starch- 

 saccharifying power, and the demonstration of starch-dextrinizing and 

 starch-precipitating powers of amylase of cereals, T. Chbzaszcz and K. 

 Terlikowski iWchu><cJir. Brau.. 29 (1912), Nos. J/l, pp. 590-593; Jf2, pp. 607- 

 610; 43, pp. 623-626; -U- PP- 636-639, fig. 1; abs. in Jour. 8oc. Chem. Indm., 

 31 (1912), Xo. 22, pp. 1089, 1090).— This is a study of the amylases of barley, 

 oats, millet, corn, wheat, and rye. The amylases were precipitated from cold 

 water extracts of the cereals with a 35 to 40 per cent solution of ammonium 

 sulphate. The resulting precipit;ites were dissolved in water and reprecipi- 

 tated fractionally by treating the solution with successive quantities of am- 

 monium sulphate, i. e., from 5 to 35 per cent. 



" The ratio of liquefying power to saccharifying power varied widely in 

 different fraction??. In some cases the later fractions, possessing considerable 

 saccharifying power, appeared to exert no liquefying action whatever. With 

 barley, rye, and wheat the functions of maximum liquefying power possessed 

 also the maximum saccharifying power, but this was not so with maize and 

 millet, and even in the former cases the increase or decrease of the two powers 

 in successive fractious did not proceed pari passu. The measurement of the 

 liquefying powei* was in some cases rendered, difficult by coagulation of the 

 starch, effected by an enzym (amylo-coagulase) present in different amounts in 

 the various grains and in greatest quantity in rye. The action of this enzym 

 was observed also in carrying out the saccharification tests, for it gave rise 

 to turbidity when the amylase was added to the starch solution. 



