lOG 



J. SAKUKAI. 



CO.NH, OO.NH, 



CH.NH, CH.NH, 



I or rather [ 



CH, CH, 



CO.OH CO.Ö 



has not yet heen resolved into a(•ti^■e eomponents ; hut since van't 

 HoflP's theory does not admit of the existence of an inactive anieso- 

 toniic compound in the case of bodies containinjj,- only one asynmietric 

 carbon atom, the mesotomism of the above inactive asparagin has yet 

 to be achie\ed. It is not unlikely that tlic new active asparagins 

 thus obtained would yield active aspartic acids ditferent from those 

 known at present. 



It is to be observed that tlie inactive asparagin is here assumed 

 to be chcmicaUij isomeric with the two known active asparagins (Cf. 

 A^ictor Meyer and -lacobson, h>r. r//.), and since the former possesses 

 the constitution above ui\eu, the latter should be 



CO.OH ro.o 



CH.NH, CH.XH3 



I or I'atlier | 



OH, CIL 



c^o.xa, co.xib, . 



It is proljable, however, that the inacti\e as})aragin will prove to be 

 the racemoid compound of the two known actixc asparagins, in which 

 case an asj)aragiii possessing the latter constitution has yet to l)e 

 discovei'ed. Our iion-ac(juaintan<'(' of a second aspartic acid presents, 

 therefore, no greater difficulties to the accej)tance of the view here 

 advocated as to the constitution of aspartic acids than our non- 

 acquaintance of a second aspargin presents to the cui-rent thecjry. From 

 tliis point of ^■iew, the existence of new asp:irtic «acids is again, at 



