AGRICULTURAL CHEMI8TBY. 937 



The separation of solutes from solvents by absorbing- media, F. K. Cameron 

 and .7. M. Bell i Abs. in Sou rice, n. %er., ?S < 1906 ), No. 588, p. 824 !•— This is an abstract 

 of a paper presented at the New Orleans meeting of the American Association for the 

 Advancement of Science. 



\ study of tin- absorption of dyes from water by blotting papers, cotton, and soil 

 is reported, from which it is concluded thai the capillar} movements of solutes 

 through absorbing media follow an empirical law"//" /./. where y represents the 

 distance through which the movemenl has taken place. / the time of movement, and 

 n and k constants depending on the nature of the substances used, although n approxi- 

 mated 2.3 in most of the cases to which the formula has so far been applied." This 

 formula holds, however, only when neither the distance aor time is large. 



Chemistry of the proteids, <i. M \x\ i London and New York: Tht Macmillan Co., 

 1906. pp. AT/// 606, dgms. 6). — It has been the author's purpose to summarize, 

 classify, and discuss the available data regarding the composition, structure, and 

 characteristics of proteids, the principal topics dealt with being the reaction of 

 albuminous substances, their dissociation products, the synthesis of albumins and 

 their constitution, albumoses and peptones, salts of albumins, halogen albumins and 

 allied matter, and physical properties and classification of albumins. 



As the author points <»ut. special stress has been laid on the proposition that cellu- 

 lar metabolism is a cyclic event and not a question of anabolism and catabolism, and 

 throughout the volume the biological aspect of chemistry has been constantly kept 

 in mind. The synthesis of albumins, as far as it was known up to September, 1905, 

 is given in full. The carbohydrate radicals of proteids are dealt with fully because 

 of their biological importance, and for the Bame reason special attention has been 

 paid to sulphur. 



A new view has been advanced, namely, that so-called neutral salts of albumins 

 are in reality not neutral, for it is their very want of neutrality which allows them 

 to dissolve in water, and which also enables them to dissolve globulins or to keep 

 these compounds in solution. 



The subject of autodigestion of nucleo-proteids has been considered at length, as it 

 is believed that it will in the near future throw a great deal of light on the question 

 of metabolism. 



A purely chemical classification has been adopted for proteids, "the individual 

 substances being arranged in such a May as to Lead from the lower members of a 

 series to the higher ones— from the less to the more highly oxidized forms— and 

 from open chain to ring compounds." 



A full index and a bibliography add to the value of the volume. The author Mates 

 that his book is based on the Becond edition of 0. Cohnheim's Chemie der Eiweiss- 

 hdrper (E. S. R., 16, p. 439), but that a large amount of additional matter has been 

 included. 



Practical elementary guide for the examination and analysis of milk, A. 

 Farines [Guide pratiqm >/ elementaire pour Vexamen et Vanalyse des laits. Paris, 

 190-'>; rev. in Rev. Gin. Lait, 5 [1906), No. 18, p. SOS). — This work is based upon a 

 course given in a dairy school and consists of practical methods for tin- examination 

 of milk, the more rapid and simple methods being given the preference inasmuch 

 as the book is designed not only for students in dairy courses but for practical 

 dairymen. 



Experiments with the kk sin-acid" butyrometer, J. Adorjan [Ztechr. Landw. 

 Versuchew. Oesterr., 9\ 1906), No. 8, /'/>. tl7-125) f — Comparative tests of the Sichler 

 nonacid method and the < rerber method are reported, the author concluding that at 

 present the nonacid method can not supplant the simpler and more rapid acid 

 method of Gerber. It is considered probable, however, that with improvements the 

 nonacid method may become of great practical importance, 



