June i i, 1903] 



NA TURE 



12 



been discovered since the second edition of this book 

 was printed, and in which the author has himself borne 

 an honourable part, are, if we except an example very 

 mar to the end of the book, not mentioned. 



THE MAGMTIDE OF THE PROTEINIC 

 MOLECULE. 

 Die Grosse dcs Envoi ssmolekiils. By Dr. F. N. Schulz. 

 Pp. viii+106. (Jena: Gustav Fischer, 1903.) Price 

 2.50 marks. 



i'^HIS work is the second part of the author's 

 ' " Studien zur Chemie der Eiweissstoffe "; the 

 tiist part is entitled " Die Krystallisation von Eiweiss- 

 •' ffen und ihre Bedeutung fiir die Eiweisschemie," and 

 ilso published by Gustav Fischer. 



The book is composed of five chapters. The first 

 deals with elementary composition as a measure of the 

 magnitude of the proteinic molecule, and fills twenty- 

 four pages. In it the author discusses firstly the ash 

 of proteins. This he divides into essential and non- 

 essential parts, without predicating chemical essen- 

 tiality of the former. He concludes that the ash is of 

 no value for the purpose under consideration. He deals 

 next with the sulphur, and shows that it can be used to 

 give minimal values. It is pointed out how the differ- 

 t nee in the ease of its elimination affects the results, and 

 the methods of its determination are discussed. 



In the second chapter the products of substitution 

 are considered. This chapter contains fifty-three pages. 

 Of the natural bodies oxyhaemoglobin and casein are 

 the only ones lending themselves to calculation. Con- 

 sideration of artificial products yields no figures of value 

 at present. The substances resulting from association 

 of acids and bases with proteins are not as yet avail- 

 able for purposes of calculation. The same may be 

 said of those of metals with proteins, with the possible 

 exception of Harnack's copper-albuminates. The 

 author points out, however, that these substances need 

 closer study. 



In connection with these bodies the author diverges 



into a consideration of certain properties of colloids, 



and indicates that associations of colloids may simulate 



' chemical compounds. He states emphatically that use 



• of such words as comhination and compound, in the 



I case of certain proteins and proteinic derivatives, may 



be unwarranted 



" Eine Hauptaufgabe dieser Abhandlung war es 

 i^' rade, dass gezeigt wird, dass bisher keine zwingenden 

 (ininde vorliegen, um z. B. bei den Metallalbuminaten, 

 oder spater bei den Halogenalbuminaten, Verbind- 

 ungen der Eiweissstoffe nach stcichiometrischen 

 Gcsetzen annehmen zu miissen." 



The products of interaction of proteins and halogens 

 pecially iodine) are dealt with at some length. The 

 < nee of harmony in the results of different observers 

 -hown, and the complexity of the process is pointed 

 The conclusion is reached that th( sr ^u!>'>tances 

 not yet trustworthy for computation;il jniipe^cs. 

 1 he subject is regarded in the third chapter from the 

 aspect of the products of hydrolysis, and it is found that 

 no single compound is of use for the required calcula- 

 tion. The chapter contains nine pages 

 NO. 1754, VOL. 68] 



1 he fourth chapter, which consists of six pages, 

 deals with physical methods, and chiefly with the cryo- 

 scopic one. The author has again to regard the results 

 with suspicion, owing to the ash and the undefined 

 nature of the substances. There is apparently an in- 

 dication that the molecular masses of peptones, pro- 

 teoses, and more complex proteins stand to one another 

 in a series of increasing magnitudes. The numbers at- 

 tached to the two former classes may be of the right 

 order; those connected with the latter are, however, 

 valueless. 



The final chapter, containing four pages, is devoted 

 to conclusions. The author considers that the present 

 state of the subject is very unsatisfactory, and that the 

 molecular magnitudes of the more complex proteins 

 cannot be even given with approximate certainty. 

 Selected minimal values, as those of Vaubel, lying for 

 the more complex proteins between 5000 and 15,000, 

 can be made to give apparent harmony. But, if selec- 

 tion is not made, the result is very different. 



The necessity of starting with crystalline bodies, and 

 of improved methods is emphasised. The author also 

 lays stress on the necessity of studying proteins in their 

 colloidal aspect, saying : — 



" Ich bin der Meinung, dass eine griindliche Erfor- 

 schung der colloidalen Eigenschaften der Eiweisskor- 

 per, das Rathsel der Eiweisschemie eher aufklaren 

 wird, als eine detaillirte Untersuchung der Krystal- 

 linischen Eiweissspaltungsproducte. " 



He adopts throughout a position of impartial 

 criticism, which is eminently sound. The results 

 hitherto obtained have for him no great positive value 

 at present; this he attributes to insufficient precision in 

 the modes of investigation, although admitting that 

 the cause may be inherent in the proteinic nature. 



Some might urge that publication is in these con- 

 ditions premature. But in the present state of pro- 

 teinic chemistry such a pamphlet as this, permeated 

 with sane criticism, and summarising what is known 

 in a clear and agreeable manner, can only be of value. 

 The just appreciation of the extreme importance of a 

 study of the colloidal nature of proteins is a main 

 feature of the work. 



It is a regrettable fact that no index of subject-matter 

 is appended, although there is one of authors, and a 

 table of contents. F. Esco.mbe. 



PHYSIOLOGICAL REPORTS. 



Reports from the Laboratory of the Royal College of 

 Physicians, Edinburgh. Edited by Sir John Batty 

 Tuke. M.D., and D. Noel Paton, M.D. Vol. viii. 

 (hxliiil)urgli : Oliver and Boyd, 1903.) 



THIS volume represents the work done in the labor- 

 atory in 1900 and 190 1, and though a year late 

 in its appearance is none the less welcome for that. 

 Apart from one paper on the pollution of the Tyne 

 Estuary, it is devoted to pathology and physiol6gy. 



Throughout there are records of the energy and help- 

 fulness of the superintendent. Dr. Noel Paton, and no 

 less than one-third of the articles are by him, either 

 alone or in conjunction with others. Indeed, his 



