RECENT WORK IN AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE. 



AGRICULTUIIALCHEMISTRY—AGEOTECHNY. 



Progress made in the field of agricultural chemistry, A. Stutzer (Chem. 

 Ztg., 36 (1912), Nos. 89, pp. 8J/9-S51; 91, pp. 810-872).— This is a retrospect of 

 the advance made in agricultural chemistry during the last few years. It 

 deals with plant chemistry and physiology, fertilizers and fertilizing, and the 

 physiology of animal nutrition. 



Colloid chemistry and agricultural chemistry, G. Wiegker (Fuhling's 

 Landw. Ztg., 62 (1913), No. 1, pp. 1-22). — This is an exposition of the evolu- 

 tion and the theories of colloid chemistry. It deals especially with the appli- 

 cation of colloid chemical principles to agriculture. 



Handbook of biochemical methods, edited by E. Aedeehalden (Handduch 

 der Biochemischen Arbeitsmethoden. Berlin and Vienna, 1912, vol. 6, pp. 

 XVIII+786, pi. 1, figs. 335). — This extensive work of whi«h previous volumes 

 have been noted (E. S. R., 26, p. 106) deals with the following topics: Prepara- 

 tion, detection, and estimation of the higher carbohydrates ; physical-chemical 

 analysis of the plant cell ; use of adsorption and capillarity in biochemical 

 analysis ; detection of alkaloids ; methods for determining caoutchouc ; steriliza- 

 tion of living plants; preparation, examination, and analysis of tannins: 

 methods for determining the intensity of light for biological purposes ; bio- 

 chemical methods for malaria investigations; the optical method and the dialysis 

 method for the diagnosis of pregnancy ; methods for the quantitative determina- 

 tion of the diastatic ferments, fibrin ferments, and fibrinogen ; capillarization 

 for substantiating micro-chemical work ; methods for the detection of sub- 

 stances in urine ; formol titration ; the quantitative determination of aliphatic 

 amino groups; chemical and biological investigation of water and sewage; 

 some medicinal data on analysis; spectroscopic methods for determining hemo- 

 globin and associated coloring matter ; the use of the photographic method in 

 the spectrophotometry of the blood; apparatus for the quantitative collection 

 of urine and feces from the male bovine ; supplement to the methods for ex- 

 amining products of digestion ; new methods for studying the longevity of living 

 tissues in vitro ; making an Eck fistula in a dog ; detection and determination 

 of adrenalin in the blood; method for examining the intestines (peristalsis) ; 

 and some supplementary matters in regard to general laboratory technique. 



The physical chemistry of the proteins, T. B. Robertson, trans, by F. A. 

 Wyncken (Die Physikalische Chemie der Proteine. Dresden, 1912, pp. XVI + 

 Jtlfl, figs. 4). — A translation into German of a book previously reviewed (B. S. R., 

 22, p. 301), to which has been added a large amount of data, dealing chiefly 

 with the individual compounds of the proteins; the electro-chemistry of the 

 proteins, involving formation and dissociation of their compounds, conductivity 

 of protein-salt solutions, and the electro-chemistry of protein coagulation; 

 physical properties of protein solutions ; and hydrolysis and synthesis of protein 

 by enzyms. 



Do gliadin and zein yield lysin on hydrolysis? T. B. Osboene and C. S. 

 Leavenworth (Jour. Biol. Chem., 14 (1913), No. 5, pp. 481-1/87). — Lysin was 



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