504 EXPERIMENT STATION EECORD. 



The ethereal oils of the wood of the spruce, P. Klason and B. Segeefklt 

 (Ark. Eemi, Min. och Geo!., 4 {1912), No. S, Art. 20, pp. IS; ahs. in Jour. Chem. 

 Soc. [Lotidon], 102 (,1912), No. 600, I, p. 78S).— It was noted in the manufacture 

 of alcohol by the sulphite-cellulose process tliat a reddish-brown oil having a 

 peculiar odor usaally collects in the middle of the fractionating tower. If this 

 cil is distilled in a current of steam, a white substance having an odor similar 

 to camphor collects in the condenser. It has a composition corresponding with 

 the formula CioHn.OH, a melting point of 207° C, and is optically inactive. 

 •' The properties point to it being borneol, but whether it is a mixture of 

 borneol and isoborneol awaits further investigation. No definite conclusions 

 can yet be drawn as to the condition in which the borneol existed in the original 

 spruce wood, since it would probably be affected by the fermentation process." 

 The bornyl is probably present as an acetate, which was saponified by boiling 

 with the sulphite. 



Catalysis, Gekteude Woker {Die Katalyse. Stuttgart, 1910, pp. 6)5). — This 

 work deals with catalysis as applied to analytical, physiological, and technical 

 chemistry. Among Its contents are noted the theories of catalysis, its defini- 

 tion and laws, associated phenomena, negative catalysis, phy.sical factors, cataly- 

 sis and reversibility, etc. A special part is to follow. 



The determination of the activity of commercial rennet preparations, W. 

 Van Dam {Lundiv. Vers. Stat., 7S {1912), No. 1-2, pp. 133-163; Rev. Gen. Lait, 

 9 {1912), Nos. 9, pp. 193-201; 10, pp. 217-226; 11, pp. 256-261; 12, pp. 261- 

 217). — It was found when setting the titer for normal rennet that the errors 

 were very great (up to 5.9 per cent), consequently the Devarda method used 

 at the present time must be considered entirely unsatisfactory. This led the 

 author to determine if it were possible to obtain a standard which was easily 

 reproducible. 



Previous investigations (E. S. R., 28, p. 407) in regard to the euzyms of 

 rennet have shown that the digestion of paracasein at low hydrogen ion con- 

 centration (about 1X10-5) proceeds nearly parallel with the coagulation. In 

 the present investigations with 7 different commercial rennet powders it was 

 found, with one exception, which was a badly prepared rennet, that a complete 

 parallelism for coagulation and digestion (2.37X10-5 n. H.) was present. Still 

 greater accuracy was noted with preparations obtained from 7 calves' stomachs 

 according to Hammarsten's method. The latter figures not only agreed among 

 themselves but also with the figures for commercial rennet. 



On the basis of these findings, a method was elaborated with which it is 

 possible to determine the strength of a standard rennet in any locality and at 

 the same time allow for a reproduction of the standard at any time. With the 

 standard rennet powder (which still shows an error of 3 per cent) used in the 

 laboratory of the experiment stafiou at Hoorn, it was found that a rennet show- 

 ing a coagulation in dilution of 1 : 100.000, gives a digestive figure of 20.5. repre- 

 senting the number of cubic centimeters of decinormal acid neutralized by the 

 ammonia obtained as a result of digesting 75 cc. of the product of digestion 

 according to Kjeldahl's method. This is used as the unit of strength for the 

 coagulative power. 



In what way is tartaric acid attacked by yeast? L. Kaeczag {Biochem. 

 ZtseJir., J,3 {1912), No. 1-2, pp. -iM6; abs. in Jour. Chem. Soc. [London^, 102 

 (1912), No. 600, II, p. 913). — Among the products resulting from the chemical 

 changes brought about by yeasts are propionic, butyric, lactic, and succinic 

 acids. A scheme is presented which shows how these acids are derived from 

 tartaric acid, and the author assumes that the chief process going on in such 

 fermentations is one of reduction. 



