774 EXPERIMENT STATION EECOBD. 



whether the reactions are identical with those brought about by a purified enzym 

 (ricin), prepared according to Osborne's method, must be the subject of further 

 investigation. 



In nontoxic agglutinins, e. g., robin, robin-seed phasin, and robin-seed urease, 

 various enzyms are present and consequently the agglutinating properties pos- 

 sessed by phasin are similar to those possessed by enzyms. Ko urease was 

 noted in castor-bean lipase, nor was sinigrin cleavage, as observed by Power, 

 noted with filtered and aseptic robin-bark enzym preparations. Robert on a 

 previous occasion has shown that the robin obtained from the bark of Rohinia 

 pseudacacia and that of robin-seed phasin were not identical. The preparation 

 from the bai-k contained amylase and invertase while robin urease contained 

 only amylase. Glucosid- and salol (ester) -cleaving enzyms were absent. Tan- 

 nigen was cleaved but the most intense cleavage was with the urease prepared 

 from robin seeds. 



Enzyms were also noted in soy-bean phasin obtained from three varieties of 

 beans. These were hydrolytic for certain carbohydrates, glucosids, esters, and 

 urea. The blue lupine seed phasin contained diastatic enzyms and glucosid- and 

 urea-cleaving enzyms in addition to the agglutinins. Phaseolus mungo did not 

 agglutinate calf, adult bovine, horse, sheep, or goat corpuscles, but cat, rabbit, 

 dog, pigeon, and human blood were agglutinated. The strongest action was on 

 pigeon blood. The pha.sin from P. maximus agglutinated human, hog, horse, 

 cat, and pigeon blood but not rabbit, dog, calf, adult bovine, sheep, or goat blood. 

 P. mungo seeds contained invertase, amygdalase, helicase, and tannigenase. The 

 seeds of SphenostyUs stenocarpa, which according to Kobert contain an agglu- 

 tinating phasin, also had saccharose-, glucosid-, and tannigen-cleaving enzyms. 

 Starch, glycogen, inulin, lactose, salol, and urea were not hydrolyzed by this 

 seed. 



Other plants studied in the above resi^ects were Voandzeia subterranea, Arachis 

 hypogaa. Datura stramonium, Digitalis purpurea, Delphinium consoUda, Atri- 

 plex hortcnsis, Strophanthus gratus, S. hisjHdus, S. comM, sesame cake, apple 

 seed, lemon seed, China orange seed, canary grass seed, and alder seed. The 

 common feed cakes, namely, coconut, linseed, palm-nut, cotton-seed, and mowrah 

 cakes, pea flour, and P. ercctus gave negative results. 



The poisonous constituent of the bark of Bobinia pseudacacia, F. B. Poweb 

 {Amer. Jour. Pharm., 85 (1913), No. 8, pp. 339-3Jf.i) .—A polemic in regard to 

 statements made by Kobert (E. S. R., 30, p. 204) with reference to the toxicity 

 of robin. 



A recent retest of the protein isolated in 1904 showed it to be very toxic ; con- 

 sequently Kobert's assertion that robin is a nonpoisonous phasin is deemed 

 inaccurate. Other statements made by Kobert are also criticized. 



In regard to the chemical nature and biological properties of ricin, G. 

 Reid (Landw. Vers. Stat., 82 (1913), No. 5-6, pp. 393-4U)-—'A- Cushny and F. 

 Muller, working independently, as a result of their researches came to the con 

 elusion that ricin is not a definite substance but is a mixture made up of an 

 agglutinin and a toxin. Lau," on the other hand, showed that ricin was capable 

 of combining with red blood cells and also with other body cells rich in lipoids. 

 In this work the author attempted to prove Lau's contention that ricin is a 

 unit substance which has both toxic and agglutinating properties. 



The tests were made with isolated brain, liver, spleen, and kidney cells, small 

 intestinal cells, and thymus cells. Ricin became anchored to these cells and 

 agglutinated them (macroscopically) in much the same manner as blood cells 

 are agglutinated by this substance. When the ricinized cells were treated with 



"liber Vegetabilische Blutagglutinine. Inaug. Diss., Univ. Rostock, 1901. 



