112 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. [Vol.43 



f;hit;imic acid, prolin, and ornitliin, and it seems not unreasonable to regard 

 tlie catalwlic paths of all these acids as similar. Tlie possibility of their con- 

 version into sliico.se via malic and lactic acids is indicated." 



Tlie report contains a further description of tlie acid and of tlie preparation 

 and properties of its strychnin and brucin salts and the similar salts of 

 d-fllutaniic, /-aspartic, and /-a-pyrrolidonecarboxylic acids. 



Fat chemistry and the fat industry in the years 1914-1918, A. Geijn 

 {Chem. Ztg., 43 {1919), Nan. 127, pp. 717, 718; 130, pp. 737-739; 133, pp. 758- 

 760; 136, pp. 778-781; 139, pp. 80'l-80Jf; 142, pp. 821-824).— This is a review of 

 the literature on fat during the years 1914-1918 arranged under the following 

 headings: Economic situation, investigations on the constituents of fats, altera- 

 tions on storage and cooking, dei'ivatives of fatt.v acids (substitution products), 

 analysis of fats, fat production, production of edible fats particularly by hydro- 

 genatlon, drying oils and varnishes, sulpbonated oils, fat cleavage, technical 

 fatty acids, and soap. 



On the mechanism of oxalic acid formation by Aspergillus niger, H. 

 Raistbick and A. B. Clark {Biochem. Jour., 13 {1919), No. 4, pp. 329-344).— 

 To determine tlie mechanism of oxalic acid production from sugar by A. niger, 

 the organism was cultivated on synthetic media containing as the sole soui'ce 

 of carbon salts of organic acids which might be possible intermediate com- 

 pounds, and the amount of oxalic acid pi'oduced was estinuited. 



The one-carbon acid, formic acid, gave fairly good growth of the organism, 

 but no oxalic acid was produced. Of the two-carbon acids, acetic acid gave 

 good growth and good yields of oxalic acid, while glycollic and glyoxylic acids 

 gave fairly good growth but no oxalic acid. The three-carbon acids (lactic, 

 pyruvic, glyceric, malonic, and propionic) gave very good growth but only 

 sliglit yield, if any, of oxalic acid. The four-cai"bon monobasic acids gave no 

 growth and no production of oxalic acid, while tlie four-carbon dibasic acids 

 (succinic, fumaric, malic, and tartaric) gave good growth and good yields of 

 oxalic acid. 



From these results it is concluded that the breakdown of the sugar molecule 

 by A. niger probably takes place in two stages, involving first the production 

 from one molecule of sugar of one molecule of acetic acid and one of oxalacetic 

 acid through the intermediate formation of ^ S-diketoadipic acid. The oxala- 

 cetic acid on further hydrolysis gives acetic acid and oxalic acid. The acetic 

 acid in each case oxidizes to oxalic acid. The intermediate production of 

 oxalacetic acid is also thought to take place in the formation of citric and 

 fumaric acids from sugar by the Aspergillaceae as noted by Currie (E. S. R., 

 37, p. 61.3) and by Wehmer (E. S. R., 43, p. 15). 



Condensers, F. Fkiedrichs {Ztschr. Angcw. Chem., 33 {1920), No 8, Auf- 

 .saizt., pp. 29-32, figs. 6). — A critical examination of the efficacy of various 

 types of condensers is reported. 



The efficiency of the Soxhlet type of condenser was found to be in no way 

 proportional to the cost of recovery. A coil condenser with five windings was 

 found to be the most efficient type, both for ordinary distillation and for use 

 as a reflux condenser. 



The determination of potassium as perchlorate, 11, G. P. Baxter and M. 

 KoBAYAsni {Jour. Amer. Cliem. Sac, 42 {1920), No. 4, pp. 735-742).— A further 

 study of tlie accuracy of the determination of potassium as perchlorate as rec- 

 onnuended in an earlier contribution (E. S. R., 37, p. 110) is reported. 



As a result the earlier recommendations are reiterated, with the exception 

 that, in place of using a saturated solution of potassium perchlorate as a 

 washing liquid, alcohol containing perchloric acid but no potassium perchlorate 



