AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY AGROTECHNY. 803 



distillation and found to consist chiefly of d — a — pinene and cadineno, with a 

 small amount of oxygenated compounds. The amount of terpenes was about 

 70 per cent and of sesquiterpenes about 24 per cent. 



The thermal values of the fats and oils. — I, The heat of bromination, J. W. 

 M-UJDEN (Jour. Indus, and Eng'm. Cheni., 8 {1916), No. 2, pp. 121-126, figs. 3). — 

 A special apparatus and method for the determination of the true heat of 

 bromination, and also a new apparatus for tlie rapid determination of specific 

 heat, are described. Experimental data indicate that the heat of bromination is 

 not directly comparable to the iodin number. The heats of solution of bromin 

 and most oils in carbon tetrachlorid were found to be very small. 



The action of bromin on proteins and amino acids, M. Siegfried and H. 

 Reppin (Hoppe-Scyler's Ztsclir. Physiol. Chem., 95 {1915), No. 1, pp. 18-28). — 

 Experimental data on the absorption of bromin by proteins and amino acids 

 are submitted. 



It is indicated that in a mixture of protein cleavage products only amino 

 acids containing a ring complex absorb bromin. Gelatin and edestin absorb 

 more bromin than tlieir cleavage products. The significance of tlae results ob- 

 tained is discussed. 



On the chemical constitution of the proteins of wheat flour and its rela- 

 tion to baking strength, M. J. Blish (Jour. Indus, and Engin. CJicm., 8 (1916), 

 No. 2, pp. 138-144)- — As the result of his investigation the author concludes that 

 the individual proteins of both strong and weak flours are identical in their 

 chemical constitution as determined by the Van Slyke method (E. S. R., 26, 

 p. 22). The gliadin-glutenin ratio is more constant in flours of different baking 

 qualities than lias been indicated by previous investigators, the great varia- 

 tion being in the " soluble proteins." The determination of ammonia nitro- 

 gen in the hydrolyzed products of flour, extracts of flour made witli various 

 solvents, and crude gluten is proposed to serve as an accurate indication of the 

 amounts of the various proteins present in the flour. 



The refractive indices of solutions of certain proteins. — IX, Edestin, C. L. 

 A. Schmidt (Jour. Biol. Chem., 23 (1915), No. 2, pp. 487-^53 ) .—Experimental 

 data of the refractive indices of varying amounts of edestin, dissolved in vari- 

 ous concentrations of solutions of acids, bases, and salts, are submitted. 



The solutions were found to follow the law 7lr-n^=aXc (E. S. R., 25, p. 709), 

 the average value for a being 0.00174±0.00006. The value for a remained con- 

 stant, even though the solvent caused hydrolysis of the dissolved protein. 



The preparation of glucosamin hydrochlorid from mucoid obtained from 

 the ascitic fluid, A. Oswald (Hoppe-Sei/ler's Ztschr. Physiol. Chem., 95 (1915), 

 No. 2-3, pp. 100, 101). — On boiling the mucoid obtained from the ascitic fluid 

 with B per cent hydrochloric acid, filtering, and concentrating the filtrate, the 

 characteristic crystals of glucosamin hydrochlorid were obtained and easily 

 identified. 



Enzym investigations.— X, Experiments on the enzymatic synthesis of 

 disaccharids, W. Lob (Biochem,. Ztschr., 72 (1916), No. 5-6, pp. 392-415).— 

 Fi'om the investigation reported the author concludes that the invertase of 

 sugar beets, as well as that of yeast and pancreas, is unable, under the experi- 

 mental conditions described, to synthesize cane sugar from its corresponding 

 hexoses. 



The influence of certain substances on the activity of invertase, E. G. 

 Griffin and .7. M. Nelson (Jour. Amer. Chem. Soc., 38 (1916), No. 3, pp. 722- 

 730). — Experimental data submitted indicate that the inhibiting effect on 

 enzym activity of certain substances, such as glass beads, serum, and egg 

 albumin, is due to a lowering of the hydrogen ion concentration. The effect of 



