952 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLII. No. 1006 



sarily indicate that the yield -will be aflfeeted. 

 The leguminoua plants were more sensitive to 

 boron than the other plants tested. Variations in 

 soil, climate and the resistance of different vari- 

 eties make it impossible to give a figure for the 

 amount of boron which aU plants can stand with 

 impunity. 

 Boron, lis Absorption and Distribution in Plants 



and Its Effect on Growth: P. C. Cook. 

 A Study of the Calcium and Magnesium Metabo- 

 lism in a Case of Chronic Gout: Jacob Eosen- 



BLOOM. 



Metabolism Studies in a Ca^e of Bronchial 



Asthma: Jacob Eosenbloom. 

 Note on Semipermeable Membranes: W. D. Ban- 



CKOFT. 



Dilute Solutions of Gelatine: W. D. Bancbopt. 

 Nephelometric Estimation of Phosphorus: Philip 

 Adolph Kober and Grete Egerer. 

 (1) The reagent of Pouget and Chouchak has 

 been modified so as to be: (a) stable, (6) color- 

 less, (c) quantitatively and (d) nephelometrieally 

 applicable. (2) It is shown that 0.005 milligram 

 of phosphorus in 10 e.e. of solution, or some part of 

 phosphorus in two million parts of water is easily 

 determined quantitatively with the nephelometer. 

 Spectrographic Study of Amino Acids and Poly- 

 peptides: Philip Adolph Kobee, with the as- 

 sistance of Waltheb Ebeblein. 

 (1) The absorption of aliphatic amino acids, in 

 acid or alkaline solution, is only general, in the 

 extreme ultra-violet. (2) The aromatic amino 

 acids show absorption bands, which may be useful 

 in detecting their presence in peptide chains. (3) 

 The presence of an excess of alkali with these 

 substances seems to increase the amount of ab- 

 sorption and tends to shift it towards the red end 

 of the spectrum. (4) The absorption of di- and 

 tri-peptides in acid or alkaline solution showed no 

 special absorption, it being similar to that of the 

 free amino acids. (5) The lack of special ab- 

 sorption of the peptides in alkaline solution; and 

 other points which were discussed, show that the 

 keto-enol tautomerism in peptide linkings, as sug- 

 gested by Dakin and Dudley, in explanation of the 

 " raeemization " of proteins, is doubtful and un- 

 supported. 



Production of Citric Acid by Black Aspergillus: 

 James N. Curkie. 



The acidity of young cultures of black Asper- 

 gillus {A. niger) was found to be greater in many 

 cases than could be accounted for by the oxalate 

 radical present. A study of this problem revealed 

 the fact that eitric acid to the amount of 0.3 to 



0.4 gram per 100 c.c. of media was present. The 

 eitric acid seems to be a transitory product which 

 appears almost as soon as the mold begins to de- 

 velop, reaches a maximum in 3 to 4 days, then de- 

 clines and in most cases disappears within a week. 



Production of Oxalic Acid by Aspergillus Ficuums: 



James N. Cubrib. 



The literature of fungi records Aspergillus niger 

 as the oxalic acid ferment par excellence and 

 states that this mold will produce one per cent, of 

 free oxalic acid on sugar media. A culture of 

 Aspergillus fleuum, Sehiemann, which has come 

 under our observation produces on cane sugar 

 media under favorable conditions 2.7 to 3.0 per 

 cent, of free oxalic acid and in the presence of 

 CaC'o3 give a yield of 80 per cent. 



An Oxalic Acid Producing Fenicillium: James 



N. Curbie and Charles Thom. 



A green penicillium common on moldy corn and 

 corn meal was observed to produce large amounts 

 of oxalic acid. This mold resembles P. italicum 

 of Wehmer in morphology, but differs so widely 

 from that species in appearance and habits that we 

 propose the name P. oxalicum. On a 5 per cent, 

 sugar medium it produces an acidity of about 0.8 

 per cent., calculated to (COOH)., 2H2O, in one 

 week, and in the presence of C'aCOj converts 40 per 

 cent, of the sugar to oxalic acid. This is much the 

 most active oxalic-acid producer ever observed 

 among the penicillium. 



Quantitative Changes in the Growth of the Suman 

 Brain: E. A. Dorset and C. G. MacArthue. 

 The per cent, of solids increases with age to ma- 

 turity. The cerebrosides and sulfatids are not 

 found in fetus or brains up to a year old. From 

 that time on they increase gradually with age to 

 maturity. The proteins and phosphatids become 

 larger in percentage amounts from three-month 

 fetus to nineteen-year brain. From that age on 

 most of the constituents are nearly constant. 



Sespiration of Nervous Tissue: 0. C. Jones and 



C. G. MacArthue. 



A comparison of the various parts of the nervous 

 system showed that the cerebrum and cerebellum 

 respire fastest. Then, mid-brain, corpus callosum, 

 medulla in the order named. The spinal cord 

 takes up about half as much oxygen and gives off 

 about half as much carbon dioxide as the cere- 

 brum. The sciatic nerve, however, respires but 

 half as fast as the spinal cord. Of the different 

 animals, in general, the older and larger respire 

 more slowly, per gram of tissue, than the younger 

 and smaller. This investigation was carried out 



