462 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXV. No. 638 



solution of one gram of the enzyme powder 

 in 100 CO. of water +2 c.c. of the toxic 

 salt, for instance M/64, silver nitrate 

 4- 0.1 c.c. of the ethyl butyrate. The con- 

 trol would be an identical preparation ex- 

 cept that boiling would occur before the 

 addition of butyrate. The difference in 

 acidity of two such preparations after a 

 given period of digestion at a given tem- 

 perature would express the amount of 

 lipolytic activity possible in M/128, silver 

 nitrate under the conditions of the test. 

 Thus barium nitrate at a concentration of 

 M/i allows lipolytic activity, while a dilu- 

 tion of M/1024 is without any inhibit- 

 ory effect. In the case of silver nitrate 

 M/25e inhibits, M/512 allows and M/16384 

 is indifferent. The corresponding points 

 for lead nitrate are, M/64, M/128 and 

 M/8192. These figures show that the 

 enzyme is very resistant to toxic salts. 

 This may be due to proteid impurities. No 

 certain stimulation has thus far been estab- 

 lished though some figures have seemed to 

 indicate it. 



Further Oiservations of the Effects of the 

 Rays of Radium on Plants: C. Stuabt 

 Gager. 



K«sults previously reported led to the 

 conclusion that the rays of radium and of 

 other radioactive substances act as a stimu- 

 lus to germination and growth, accelera- 

 ting or retarding these processes according 

 to the duration and distance of exposure, 

 and the strength of the radium salt em- 

 ployed. Further experiments warrant a 

 similar conclusion with respect to other 

 plant activities, such as respiration, starch- 

 making, geotropic response, etc. The 

 growth of plants watered with radioactive 

 water may be accelerated or retarded. 

 The result varies, not only with the degree 

 of radioactivity, but also with the species 

 of plant employed. Growth may be ac- 

 celerated in an atmosphere containing the 



emanation of radium. When pollen or 

 ovules are exposed before pollination, or 

 when exposure is made after fertilization 

 of the egg, plants grown from the resulting 

 seeds vary profoundly from the parent 

 plants. The heritability of these variations 

 has not yet been tested. 



Some Chemical Notes on Specimens of 

 American Amber: Wm. J. Gies. 

 The amber was discovered by Dr. Arthur 

 Hollick several years ago, associated with 

 fossil leaves in the cretaceous clays at 

 Kreiseherville, Staten Island. The vari- 

 ous samples were quite different in color 

 and transparency, but in each case closely 

 resembled a well known variety of amber 

 in hardness, color, specific gravity, etc. 

 Pulverized portions of the most typical 

 samples lost only 0.45 per cent, in weight 

 on drying several days at 110° G. Ash con- 

 tent was only 0.1 per cent. Analysis in- 

 dicated the following elementary composi- 

 tion: C, 78.5; H, 9.5; S, 0.25; 0, 11.75. 

 On destructive distillation succinic acid ap- 

 peared to be formed and a considerable 

 quantity of volatile sulphide was evolved. 

 Long continued extraction in absolute 

 alcohol and in anhydrous ether led to the 

 solution of 42.6 per cent, of the powder in 

 the former liquid, and 45.5 per cent, in the 

 latter. The specimens appeared to consist 

 of typical amber. Further observations on 

 larger quantities are expected to clear up 

 any doubt in this regard. 



Effects of Acids on Tendon, with some 

 Notes on the Preparation of Elastin, 

 Collagen and Mucoid: Wm. J. Gies. 

 When sections of Achilles tendon are im- 

 mersed in dilute acid, e. g., 0.1 per cent. 

 HCl, they become greatly bloated in a few 

 hours. If the pieces are thin transverse 

 sections to begin with, they swell to large 

 semitransparent mulberry-masses. Such 

 sections swell unequally in any series of 

 different acids of equivalent concentra- 



