ON THE STUDY OP PLANT ENZYMES. 



85 



The Study of Plant Enzijmes, particularly with relation to 

 Oxidation. — Fourth Report of the Committee, consisting of 

 Mr. A. D. Hall {Chairman), Dr. E. F. Abmstrong 

 {Secretary), Professor H. E. Armstrong, Professor F. 

 Keeble, and Dr. E. J. Kussell. 



In the last communication to the Eoyal Society on Lipase, by Armstrong 

 and Gosney, reference was made to experiments with the seed of Cheli- 

 donium majics. Further work has been done with this seed to deter- 

 mine its synthetic activity. The results are in harmony with those 

 published in the interval by Bournot, who was the first to recognise 

 the high lipoclastic activity of the seed. 



A good deal has been made, during the year, of a discussion by van 

 Slyke and Cullen of the work done with urease, which had led Armstrong 

 and Horton to conclude that the action of this catalyst was not subject 

 to the ordinary mass-action law but practically linear in rate over the 

 greater part of its course. Van Slyke amplifies the ordinary mass-action 

 equation by a term representing the time occupied in the decomposition 

 of the hydrolyte by the enzyme and claims that the results are in 

 accordance with such ' mass-action equation ' ; but as the mass-action 

 term is admitted to be of no practical account, the argument he develops 

 practically falls to the ground, leaving the position much as it has been 

 stated by E. F. and H. E. Armstrong. 



The work of the Committee has been extended in various directions 

 during the year but with no very definite results, as it has been 

 impossible to carry on systematic work. 



Correlation of Crystalline Form with Molecular Structure. — 

 Report of the Committee, consisting of Professor W. J. 

 Pope {Chairman), Professor H. E. Armstrong {Secretary), 

 Mr. W. Barlow, and Professor W. P. Wynne. 



During the year, in addition to a limited amount of crystallographic 

 work, a beginning has been made in determining the molecular volumes 

 of compounds in close crystallographic relationship. The foUowinsj 

 results are given as examples. It will be seen that there is a fairly 

 regular relationship between the salts : — 



Molecular Volumes of Sulphonntes. 



On discussing the crystallographic results in the light of these mole- 



