202 EXPERIMENT STATION EECORD. 



per cent of tlie protein nitrogen, tlie entire amount of free NH2 determinable in 

 tlie native proteins by tbe nitrous acid method. The a-amino groups, which 

 constitute the remaining and greater part of the free amino nitrogen found 

 after complete hydrolysis, are, in the intact protein molecule, practically all 

 condensed into peptid Unkings. (3) With the primary albumoses the relations 

 are different. The free NH2 in hetero- and protoalbumose exceeds half the lysin 

 nitrogen, by 3 and 4.2 per cent, respectively, of the total protein nitrogen, indi- 

 cating that an appreciable portion of the a-amino groups is uncovered in even 

 the primary digestion products." 



Newer investigations on the protein metabolism of yeast and mold fungi, 

 F. Ehrlich {Ztschr. Angew. Chcm., 21 {1914), A'o. 8, AicfsatzteiL pp. JtS-52). — 

 A detailed and critical discussion of the subject, especially in the light of the 

 author's findings. 



The constituents of the flowers of Anthemis nobilis, F. B. Poweb and H. 

 Beowning, Je. {Jour. Chem. Soc. [London], 105 {1914), No. 621, pp. 1829-1845). — 

 The flower heads of the composite plant, A. nohiUs, known as. the Roman or 

 English camomile, are used to a considerable extent as a medicine and are 

 recognized by the United States, British, and other national pharmacopoeias. 

 The material used in this investigation was collected from plants grown in 

 Belgium. 



"Apart from the essential oil yielded by distillation with steam, the flowers 

 have been found to contain the following definite compounds: (1) 3:4 dihy- 

 droxycinnamic acid; (2) apigenin, CisHioO!;; (3) a glucosid of apigenin, 

 C-iTLoOio.HsO (melting point ITS to 180°), which yields a hexa-acetyl derivative, 

 C33H3,a6,4H20, melting at 144 to 146°; (4) cholin, CsHiaO.N; (5) i-inositol, 

 C6Ho(OH)6; (G) triacontane, C30H02; (7) taraxasterol, C20II47.OH (melting 

 point 217 to 219°) ; (8) a phytolsterolin (melting point 280 to 233°), consisting 

 chiefly of sistosterol-d-glucosid, CssHsoOe; (9) a mixture of fatty acids, consisting 

 of cerotic, stearic, palmitic, oleic, and linoleic acids. The flowers contained, 

 furthermore, a considerable quantity of sugar, which yielded tZ-phenylglucosa- 

 zone (melting point 208 to 210°). The amount of fatty and resinous material, 

 from which some of the above-mentioned substances were obtained, was equiva- 

 lent to about 7.4 per cent of the weight of flowers employed. 



" The so-called ' anthemic acid ' of previous investigators was evidently a 

 very indefinite product, while the ' anthesterol ' of Klobb was doubtless a mix- 

 ture, consisting chiefly of the compound which has been designated by the 

 authors as taraxasterol. 



" The bitter taste of camomile flowers appears to be due to dark-colored, 

 amorphous material, and not to any well-defined constituent. It was found, 

 for example, that the portion of the alcoholic extract which is soluble in water 

 yielded, when extracted successively with ether and amyl alcohol, viscous prod- 

 ucts which possessed an intensely bitter taste." 



Investigations on oil of black sage, C. E. Bueke and C. C. Scaxione {Jour. 

 Indus, and Engin. Chem., 6 {1914), No. 10, pp. 804-806, figs. 2).— The oil of black 

 sage {Ramona sfachyoidcs), a plant which grows abundantly in California, 

 was studied, first with the idea of determining the yields of camphor and 

 cineol at slightly different seasons of the year, and secondly to determine defi- 

 nitely the other constituents and whether or not any of the constituents were 

 present in suflicient amounts to be commercially important. 



Analyses of the oil of black sage showed pinene 6 per cent, cineol 30, dipen- 

 tene, terpinene, etc., 25, thujone 8, camphor 25, and resinous material 5 per cent. 

 The results also give a good indication as to the variation of the constituents 

 of the oil with the season. 



See also a previous note by Rabak (E. S. R., 26, p. 612). 



