295 



It fumaric acid be transformed into the /-W;/v/-< -thci, and tln-n 

 oxidized with potassium-permanganate in acetic acu/-^>lution, a 

 laevogyrate bornyl-tartrate was obtained, from \\hirh an alsolaevo- 

 i;\ -i a lory tartaric acid was set free. Better results were again 

 obtained, when the acid ether of borneol, or tin n< -uti.d th 

 mentlwl were used for this purpose; and it was also proved that 

 in using the oppositely rotating borneol, an excess of the dextro- 

 gyrate tartaric acid finally resulted. 



10. From these experiments the correctness of the view U 

 proved, beyond all doubt, that a pre-existing molecular dissymetry 

 has a powerful guiding influence on the chemical synthesis in which 

 new aymmetric carbon-atoms are created. From this the one-sid< d 

 natural synthesis in plants and animals has not only become 

 conceivable, but the contrast between the natural synthesis by 

 the living organism and that by the chemist, as contended by 

 vitalists, has mostly vanished, since the one-sidedness of natural 

 synthesis is thus brought within the scope of chemical dynamics, it 

 being now reduced to a merely relative difference in reaction-velocities. 



The important investigations on catalysis by B r e d i g l ) and 

 his pupils during the last eight years before the war, have cor- 

 roborated these ideas most thoroughly, since the analogy of 

 chemical catalysis and the action of organic enzymes and ferments 

 was absolutely demonstrated by them. 



It has been already repeatedly stated in the preceding pages 

 that ferment-, and enzyme-action is evidently not really a "specific" 

 one, but merely quantitatively differing. D a k i n found, that 

 benzyl-l-mandelate was decomposed by lipase (from the liver) about 

 40% more slowly than the corresponding dextrogyrate ether. 

 H e r 7. o g and Meier found this inequality of reaction- velocity 

 also, when the oxidizing ferments of many fungi and moulds 

 acted upon d-, or l-tartaric acids. According to Rosenthaler*), 

 emulsine produces an excess of dextrogyrate nitrile, if HCN be 

 added to benzaldehyde. If the higher molecular symmetry, and 



1) G. Bredig and R. W. Balcom, Ber. d. d. Chem. Ges. 41. 740. (1908); G. 

 Bredig and K. Fajans, ibid. p. 752. (1908); G. Bredig, Verb. d. naturwiss. 

 Verein Karlsruhe, 25. (1913); K. Fajans, Zeitschr., f. phys. Chemie, 7J. 25. 

 (1910); G. Bredig' and P. S. Fiske, Bioch. Zeits. 46. 7. (1912); H. J. M. 

 Creighton, Zeits. f. phys. Chemie 81. 543. (1913). 



2) L. Rosenthaler, Archiv. d. Pharmac. 249. 510. (1911); Bioch. Zeits. 14. 

 247. (1908); 19. 186. (1909). 



