of plant tissues. It greatly accelerates the action of a proteolytic enzyme 

 (papain) which it may do by means of a reaction somewhat similar to the 

 first stage indicated above. 



3. Conversion of a higher to a, lower monosaccharose. By the action 

 of hydroxylamine upon glucose, glucose-oxime is produced. This product 

 is converted to gluconic nitrile by the action of acetic anhydrid and sodium 

 acetate, removing one molecule of water and acetylating the hydroxyl 

 groups, forming penta-acetyl gluconic acid. Ammoniacal silver solution re- 

 moves hydrocyanic acid from this substance, leaving the acetyl derivative 

 of the pentose arabinose. Ammonia will form an acetamid arabinose, 

 which in turn yields arabinose by the action of dilute sulphuric acid. 



CII:NOH 

 HCOH 

 HOCH 

 HCOH 

 HCOH 



c 



|\H 

 HCOH 



HOCH 

 HCOH 

 HCOH 

 CH 2 OH 



Glucose 



plus 



Hydroxyl- 

 amin 



Acetic 

 Anhydrid 



CH 2 OH 



Glucose 

 Oxime 



H 



HCO.OC CH 3 

 riL,CO OCH 



HCO.OC CH 3 



I 

 HCO.OC CH 3 



CH 2 O.OC CH 3 



plus 



H CO.OC CH a 



ammoniacal 



silver CH 3 CO.OCH 



solution 



HCO.OC CH 3 



HCO.OC CH 3 



CH 2 O.OC CH 3 



arabinose pentacetate 



By this reaction glucose has been converted successively into arabinose, 

 erythrose, glycerose and gly collie aldehyde. 



OxidltoL Action of alMies.-Mosi of the S1 mpler carbohydrate 

 are unstable in alkaline solution and undergo a great variety of changes, 



