AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY AGROTECHNY. 311 



taken from storage where temperatures varying from 12 to 15° C. prevailed 

 contained 29 per cent o^ glucose. By storing these potatoes for several days at 

 5 to 6°, one set of experiments showed an increase in glucose of 0.02S3 per cent 

 and in another of 0.0296 per cent per day of storage. The juices obtained 

 from the potatoes were then kept at 3, 31, and 48° for various lengths of time. 

 A marked increase in glucose was noted in all cases, the greatest production 

 being at the higher temperatures. Glucose formation occurred most rapidly at 

 the beginning of the storage process. The diastatic power of the juices was 

 low, but greatest in the freshly obtained juices. 



The bacteriological and chemical .evidence of the occurrence of a hexose 

 sugar in normal milk, XL M. Jones {Jour. Infect. Diseases, 15 {191^), No. 2, 

 pp. 851-366). — Bacteriological and chemical evidence is presented which is said 

 to indicate that milk normally contains a substance which reacts like dextrose. 



Gossypol: A toxic substance in cotton seed. — A preliminary note, W. A. 

 WiTHEKS and F, E. Cabeuth (Science, n. ser., 41 {1915), No. 1052, p. 324). — 

 " We have separated from cotton-seed kernels a substance which appears to be 

 identical with the substance which ilarchlewski [E. S. R., 11, p. 510] separated 

 from crude cotton-seed oil and called gossypol. We have administered in various 

 ways to rabbits gossypol as prepared by us and have found it toxic in every 

 case. We have found, as did Marchlewski, that gossypol is quickly oxidized in 

 an alcoholic solution of sodium hydroxid. 



" In a previous paper from this station [E. S. R., 28, p. 279] it was stated 

 that '(alcoholic) alkaline treatment, very greatly diminishes, if it does not en- 

 tirely remove, the toxic properties of the (cotton-seed) meal,' and it was sug- 

 gested that the beneficial effect ' may be due to hydrolysis or to the formation of 

 a sodium salt or to some other change not yet determined definitely,' We now 

 offer as an explanation that gossypol is a toxic substance and that its oxidation 

 by an alcoholic alkali renders it nontoxic and thus diminishes, if it does not 

 entirely remove, the toxic properties of cotton-seed meal." 



About the chemical nature of catalase, P. Waentig and W. Gierisch 

 { Ferment forsch., 1 {1915), No. 2, pp. 165-195). — Catalase of liver (present to 

 the extent of 0.3 per cent) is a water-soluble coagulable protein substance which 

 was precipitated in the cold by mineral acids, especially nitric acid, but not by 

 acetic acid. Heating caused an inactivation and the coagulum obtained showed 

 mucin-like characteristics. It was precipitated by the so-called alkaloidal re- 

 agents and bromin water in an acetic acid solution. The well-known protein reac- 

 tions were positive and the biuret test was obtained as a blue-violet coloration. 

 The protein substance probably contains a sugar which can be identified by the 

 Molisch test but not after hydrolysis by Fehling's solution. The quantity of 

 mineral substances present in a catalase preparation can be considerably re- 

 duced without affecting the activity of the catalase, although it was found that 

 iron and phosphoric acid were not removed by dialysis and were adsorbed by 

 the active substance. It is doubtful whether these two constituents, especially 

 iron, are an integral part of catalase. Purin bases could not be noted in the 

 preparations. 



Digestion tests on catalase solutions with proteolytic and peptolytic 

 ferments, K. Winkles {Fermentforsch., 1 {1915), No. 2, pp. 105-130) .—The 

 ferment erepsin which is present in the intestine of vertebrate animals destroys 

 catalase. This fact is said to justify the conclusion that catalase is a chemical 

 substance protein-like in nature. Some data on ferments present in inverte- 

 brates (crabs, snails, etc.) are also included. 



On vicine, P. A. Levene (Jour. Biol. Chem., 18 (1914), No. 2, pp. 305-311).— 

 "Vicine was discovered by Ritthausen (E. S. R., 29, p. 501),. who found that 



