June 13, 1919] 



SCIENCE 



573 



studies of the chemotherapeutic type upon in- 

 secticides and fungicides: C. L. Alsberg. 



The absence of fat-soluble: A "vitamine" in 

 glandular fats: A. D. Emmett and G. O. LcROs. 

 Fat extracted from the pancreas, thvnius and 

 suprarenal glands with acetone and ether was in- 

 corporated in a diet that was complete for normal 

 growth in rats, except for the absence of the ' ' fat- 

 soluble A ' ' accessory. Comparing the effect of 

 these rations with that obtained with control 

 group where a normal diet and one lacking in fat- 

 soluble A were fed, it was found that none of the 

 three glandular fats contained this accessory or 

 "vitamine." The use of the desiccated thymus 

 in the therapy of rickets would therefore seem to 

 bear no relation to the presence of the fat-soluble 

 A, as has been claimed by some. 



The nutritive value of peanut and soy bean 

 flours as supplements to wheat flour: C. O. Johns, 

 A. J. Finks and Mabel S. Paul. Bread contain- 

 ing 75 per cent, wheat and 25 per cent, of peanut 

 or soy bean flours, together with a suitable salt 

 mixture and butter fat, produced normal growth 

 when fed to albino rats. These diets contained 

 approximately 18 per cent, of protein. Normal 

 growth was also obtained when the total protein 

 content of the diet was only 11 per cent. Con- 

 trols were made by using wheat bread as the only 

 source of protein and the growth was one third to 

 two thirds normal, this diet containing 11 per 

 cent, of protein. The investigation is still in 

 progress. 



A volumetric method for the detection and esti- 

 mation of neutralizers in dairy products: L. W. 

 Ferris. By the use of picric acid and a standard 

 hydrochloric acid solution the inorganic salts are 

 separated from the milk proteins and the ratio 

 of the alkalinity of these salts to the inorganic 

 phosphoric acid is determined. This ratio is 

 fairly constant for normal dairy products and is 

 increased by the presence of neutralizers, the in- 

 crease being in proportion to the amount of neu- 

 tralizer present. The ratio is determined on 

 samples of normal and neutralized products and a 

 formula given for calculating the amount of neu- 

 tralizer in a given sample. 



Carbon, monoxide — a respiration product of 

 help: Seth C. Lanodon. It was determined that 

 the carbon monoxide in the floater of the Pacific 

 Coast kelp, Nerencystis luelkeana, is a by-product 

 of respiration and not an intermediate step in 

 photosynthesis. This was accomplished by substi- 

 tuting gases of known composition for those nor- 



mally present in the kelp and then by analysis 

 noting any change in composition. Carbon monox- 

 ide was formed only when oxygen was present in 

 the substituted gas. It was formed both in the 

 light and in the dark. Carbon monoxide was not 

 formed within plants which had been killed nor 

 was it formed when macerated kelp is allowed to 

 decompose or undergo autolysis. This formation 

 of carbon monoxide within a living plant is unique. 



The effect of X-rays on tlie length of life of 

 Tribolium confusum: Wheeler P. D.\vey. 



The occurrence of gossypol in different varieties 

 of Cottonseed: C. L. Alsberg, E. W. Schwartze 

 and E. T. Wherry. 



Criticism of the Eckert method of determining 

 nitrogen by the Kjeldahl method in nitro deriva- 

 tives: I. K. Phelps. 



A discussion of -the accuraoy of the determina- 

 tion of nitrogen in organic substances by the 

 Kjeldahl method: I. K. Phelps. 



Do mold spores contain enzymes? (By title.) 

 Nicholas Kopeloff and Lillian Kopeloff. The 

 query "Do mold spores contain enzymes" has 

 been answered in the aflirmative by the experi- 

 mental data herein presented. The spores of 

 Aspergillus niger heated to 63° C. for 30 minutes 

 and shaken with sterile sand, caused a decrease in 

 polarization and in increase in reducing sugars in 

 a 10 per cent, sterile solution in 3 hours, and con- 

 tinued the same changes throughout the 4-day in- 

 cubation at 45° C. These results were corrobo- 

 rated when a 20 i)er cent, sugar solution was sim- 

 ilarly inoculated. Spores heated to 100° C. 

 caused no change (neither did an inoculation with 

 sterile distilled water) proving that the activity 

 mentioned above was enzymatic in nature. The 

 enzyme present exhibited activities identical with 

 invertase, consequently the spores of Aspergillus 

 niger contain invertase. Among the practical ap- 

 plications of this phenomenon the deterioration of 

 manufactured cane sugar and certain transforma- 

 tions in the soil are es])ecially significant. 



The influence of ammonium hydroxide on the 

 oxidation of acetone and on the acetone yield from 

 the oxidation of butyric acid (by title) : Edgar J. 

 Wiltzemann. 



The biological test for determininQ the fertiliser 

 needs of a particular soil or crop: B. P. Hibbard 

 and S. GusHBERG. 



The qu^intity and composition of ewes' milk: 

 its relation to the growth of lambs (by title) : 

 Ray E. Neidig. 



An experimental study upon the impregnation of 

 cloth with pediculicocidal substances: W. Moore 



