CHEMISTRY OF THE PROCESSES 193 



By this process pieces having various numbers of carbon atoms 

 are formed, all of which are very reactive in their nascent state due to 

 the free open bonds on the carbon atom. These react with each 

 other and give rise to long chain compounds, the more complex of 

 which have a brown color arid other physical and chemical charac- 

 teristics of soil humus. 



Soil humus also contains nitrogen which would come through the 

 action of bacteria upon proteins. The products resulting through 

 such action are numerous and varied, but the work of Schreiner and 

 his associates has shown them to be the following: 



Arginin (CeHi 4 O 2 N4) Nucleic acid (constituents unknown) 



Adenin (CsHsNs) Oxalic acid (C 2 H 2 O 4 ) 



Agroceric acid (C 2 iH42O 3 ) Picolin carboxylic acid (CvHrC^N) 



Acrylic acid (C 3 H 4 O 2 ) Paraffinic acid (C24H 4 8O 2 ) 



Agrosteral (C 22 H 22 OH 2 O) Phytosterol (C 26 H44O.H 2 O) 



Cytosin (C 4 H5ON 3 H 2 O) Pentosan (C 6 H 8 O4) 



Cholin (C 5 Hi 5 O 2 N) Quanin (CH 8 N 8 ) 



Creatinin (C 4 H7ON 3 ) Rhamose (C 6 H 14 Oio) 



Creatin (C 4 H 9 O 2 N 3 ) Succinic acid (CUHeC^) 

 Dihydroxystearic acid (CisHseCh) Saccharic acid (CeHsOio) 



Hentriacontan (CsiHw) Salicylic aldehyd (CeH 4 CHOOH) 



Histidin (C 6 H 9 O 2 N 3 ) Trimethylamin (C 3 H 9 N) 



Hypoxanthin (C 5 H 4 ON 4 ) Trithiobenzaldehyd (C 6 H 5 CSH) 8 

 Lignoceric acid (C 24 H 48 O 2 ) 

 Monohydroxystearic acid (Ci 8 H 36 O 3 ) 

 Mannite (CeHuOe) 



REFERENCES. 



Vorhees, Edward B. and Lipman, Jacob G.: "A Review of Investigations in Soil 

 Bacteriology," U. S. Dept. Agr., Off. Exp. Sta. Bui. 194. 

 Fuller, George W. : "Sewage Disposal." 

 Effront, Prescott: "Biochemical Catalysts in Life and Industry." 



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