238 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXVIII. No. 712 



NO3 and SOj are only active wlieii the former 

 occurs in the ratio of 10:1 of K, and when 

 the latter is present as 200:1 of K. The 

 influence of molecules and ions is zero when 

 phosphates are used. 



Magnesium salts possess a greater antitoxic 

 value than the corresponding potassium or 

 ammonimn salts. Mixing a small quantity 

 of (CHOO)jMg with twice the quantity of 

 OHO OK does not modify the antitoxic value 

 of the former in the presence of copper 

 acetate, but with the other salts of copper its 

 value is increased. The addition of am- 

 monium or potassium salts to a solution of 

 the corresponding magnesium salt decreases 

 but does not increase the antitoxic value of 

 the latter. The mixture of corresponding 

 salts of potassium and ammonium, however, 

 increases slightly their antitoxic value in the 

 presence of some copper salts, but not for 

 others. 



A part of the antitoxic activity of mineral 

 salts is due to the acid radicals, the NO3 

 radical being the one which is most active. 

 Therefore the inorganic salt possessing the 

 most antitoxic activity is Mg(N03),. 



By mixing a small quantity of (NII,)jSOj 

 with twice the amount of OHO OK, the anti- 

 toxic value of the former is not modified, 

 except in presence of copper acetate, where the 

 antitoxic value is slightly increased. The K 

 ions appear to decrease the antitoxic value of 

 the (NH.),SO^ molecules. When (CHOO),Mg 

 molecules are added to (NHj,SO^ the anti- 

 toxic value of the Mg molecules decreases. 

 The mixing of a small quantity of NHjlSrOj 

 molecules with an equal quantity of OHO OK 

 increases their antitoxic value. The K ions 

 are depressing when they are present in large 

 amounts, but have the same action as CHOOK 

 when they are present in small numbers. 

 When NH^NOj is added to less than half the 

 same amount of (CHOO).Mg, the first salt 

 exerts a depressing action upon the second. 



The addition of a small amount of CHOOK 

 to less than half the same quantity of 

 MgClSrOj)^ diminishes the antitoxic value of 

 the latter except with the copper acetate, 

 where it is increased. The addition of 

 CHOOK to S+NH.+Mg or to P-l-NH.-t-Mg 



raises the antitoxic value of these combina- 

 tions. 



When a small quantity of MgSO^ is added 

 to twice as much NH^NO^ the antitoxic value 

 of the mixture is greater than that of the 

 NHjNOs alone, but is greater, equal or less 

 than that of the MgSO^ with different salts 

 of copper. The addition of CHOOK to the 

 mixture is without action upon the antitoxic 

 value, except with CuClj, where it is lower. 



The mixture of a smaU amount of 

 NH^HjPOj with a smaller amount of 

 Mg(N03), diminishes considerably the value 

 of the latter. The addition of CHOOK to 

 the two salts raises their antitoxic value. 



Mixing a small amount of MgClSrOj)^ with 

 twice the amount of NH^H^POj and an equal 

 amount of K„SOj represents a complete min- 

 eral nutrient and the maximum of resistance 

 to poison. 



The author's conclusions are sustained by 

 a large mass of experimental data which will 

 repay careful reading and constitute an im- 

 portant addition to our knowledge of the rela- 

 tions between poisons and foods. 



Howard S. Eeed 

 Depabtment of Agricitltuee, 

 Washington, D. C. 



Kurzes Lehrbuch der Organischen Chemte. 

 By Dr. W. A. Notes. Translation into the 

 German by W. Ostwald. Pp. Y22. Akad- 

 emische Verlagsgesellschaft, 1907. 

 It has seldom happened that an English 

 text in organic chemistry has been translated 

 into the German, inasmuch as organic chem- 

 istry is essentially a German science, and 

 practically all of our texts have come from 

 that country. That W. A. Noyes's book has 

 been translated into the German augurs well 

 for organic chemistry in our own country. 

 Especially does this seem true when it is 

 noted that the translator is no other than 

 Walter Ostwald, of Leipzig. The translation 

 is remarkable. The translator has given a 

 faithful representation of the original text, at 

 the same time he has completely eliminated 

 that stiffness so characteristic in translations 

 of this kind. 



Geo. B. Frankforter 



