June 20, 1919] 



SCIENCE 



595 



of the material into the stomach and intestine. 

 The determinations were made by adding 0.5 

 CO. of blood to 50 c.c. of diluted hydrogen 

 peroxide in a bottle at approximately 22° C. 

 and the amount of oxygen gas liberated in ten 

 minutes was taken as a measure of the amount 

 of catalase in the 0.5 c.c. of blood. 



The maximum increase produced in the 

 blood of the liver by the different materials is 

 given in Table 1. !*■ may be seen that the 

 amino acid, glycocoll, produced 56 per cent. 

 increase in catalase, sodiimi acetate 36 per 

 cent, and acetamid 48 per cent, increase. 

 By comparing the formulae of these three 

 substances it may be seen that all three 

 are derived from acetic acid; the amino 

 acid, glycocoll, CH^iKH^COOH, and acetamid, 

 CHjCOXH,. being acetic acid, CH^COOH, 

 with an amino (NH,) group introduced 

 into the molecule while sodium acetate, 

 CH3COONA, has the element sodium intro- 

 duced, hence the conclusion was drawn that 

 the introduction of the amino (]^JH„) group 

 into the molecule of the organic acid, acetic, 

 thus forming the amino acid, glycocoll, as 

 well as acetamid, was to increase the effective- 

 ness of the acetic acid molecule in stimulating 

 the liver to an increased production of cata- 

 lase with resulting increase in oxidation. If 

 the introduction of the amino (NH,) group 

 into the other organic acids, propionic, vale- 

 rianic, caproic, succinic and glutaric, thus 

 forming the amino acids, the essential con- 

 stituents of protein, increases the effectiveness 

 of these acids in stimulating the liver to an 

 increase output of catalase, this may ex- 

 plain the great increase in heat production 

 after the ingestion of protein. 



It may be seen further in Table 1, that the 

 introduction of olein, a fat, into the alimen- 

 tarj' tract produced 40 per cent, increase in 

 the catalase of the blood of the liver, glycerine 

 43 per cent., and potassium oleate 31 jxt cent, 

 increase. By comparing these figures it may 

 be seen that glycerine produced a greater in- 

 crease in catalase than did the olein and that 

 potassium oleate produced a smaller increase. 

 By comparing the formulse of these sub- 



stances it will be seen that the fat, olein, 

 (C,,H,,3COO)3C3H5, has in its molecule a 

 part of the glycerine, C^Hj (OH),, molecule 

 and a part of the oleic acid, Cj.HjjCOOH, 

 molecule. Since oleic acid or potassium oleate 

 produces a smaller increase in catalase than 

 the olein, and glycerine a larger increase, it 

 follows that the effect of the glycerine radical 

 in the olein molecule was to increase the 

 effectiveness of the fat in producing an in- 

 crease in catalase in a manner similar to but 

 not so extensive as did the amino (NH,) 

 group in the amino acids. It may be seen 

 that the sugar, dextrose, produced a smaller 

 increase in catalase than any of the other 

 substances in keeping with the fact that the 

 ingestion of sugar produces a smaller increase 

 in oxidation than fat or protein. 



Evidence is presented in this paper to show 

 that the increased heat production following 

 the ingestion of food is due to the stimulation 

 of the liver to an increased output of cata- 

 lase, the enzyme bringing about the oxidation 

 and that meat or protein, in keeping with its 

 greater stimulating effect on heat production, 

 produces the greatest increase in catalase, 

 fat next and sugar least. The amino (XH:) 

 group in the protein molecule renders protein, 

 or meat, a more effective stimulant on cata- 

 lase production and hence on heat production 

 than fat and the glycerine radical in the fat 

 molecule renders fat more effective than sugar. 



W. E. BURGE 



THE BUFFALO MEETING OF THE 

 AMERICAN CHEMICAL SO- 

 CIETY. II 



DrVISlON OF INDUSTRIAL CHEMISTS A.VD CHEillCAL 

 ENGINEERS 



H. S. Miner, Chairman 

 H. E. Howe, Secretary 

 Symposium on Library Service in Industrial Lab- 

 oratories 

 The public library in the service of the chemist: 

 Elwood H. McClelland, Technolofry Librarian, 

 Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. The function of 

 the public library is to serve its public by afford- 

 ing information relating to the problems of the 



