December 31^ 1915] 



SCIENCE 



953 



with a modification of tlie Mathews-Bunzel oxida- 

 tion apparatus on very fresh tissue. 

 Nitrogenous Products from Brain Lecithin: ,T. 



Darkah and C. G. MacArthur. 



There is about 0.2 per cent, nitrogen in brain 

 lecithin in an unknown form. This remains in the 

 fatty acid residue after hydrolysis of the lecithin. 

 About 0.8 per cent, nitrogen is present as chlorine. 

 This was confirmed in the usual way as the plati- 

 num compound. The other 0.8 per cent, of the 

 nitrogen was identified as amino ethyl alcohol both 

 by the gold salt and by the picrolonate derivative. 

 Some Physico-Chemical Properties of Several 



Brain Lipoids: G. Niederman and C. G. Mac- 

 Arthur. 

 Bespiration of Nerve Tissue: O. C. Jones and C. 



G. MacArthtje. 

 Some Effects of Large Applications of Certain 



Commercial Fertilizers: George D. Beal and 



Fred Weaver Mtincie. 



In connection with the study of fertilizers for 

 greenhouse crops, the author has investigated the 

 effects of excessive applications of certain com- 

 mercial fertilizers upon carnations. The fertilizers 

 chosen for this purpose were ammonium sulfate, 

 dried blood, commercial acid phosphate, disodium 

 phosphate and potassium sulfate. It was found 

 that the ease and rapidity with which overfeeding 

 effects appeared depended in a general way upon 

 the solubility of the fertilizer in water, and three 

 classes were distinguished: (1) those fertilizers 

 quite soluble and producing immediate injury 

 when applied in large quantities; (2) those fairly 

 soluble and producing delayed injury, and (3) 

 those difficultly soluble and producing no injury 

 when applied in any quantities. Ash and mineral 

 determinations showed the increased intake of the 

 fertilizing salts when large quantities were ap- 

 plied. The total nitrogen content of the plants 

 could be increased nearly threefold when am- 

 monium sulfate was applied to the soil. Serious 

 injury followed the use of large quantities of it, 

 although the plants acquired a certain tolerance 

 when the salt was applied over a long period in 

 small quantities. Free ammonia (as ammonium 

 salts) was found in plants so fed. Lime decreased 

 the intake of sulfate and phosphate, but increased 

 the injury from ammonium sulfate. Osmotic pres- 

 sure determinations on the sap from shoots (ex- 

 pressed after freezing) showed that with any 

 single fertilizer the increased intake of the salt, 

 and after injury became apparent, the greater de- 

 gree of injury was correlated with a higher os- 

 motic pressure value. The value at which injury be- 



came noticeable was different for the different fer- 

 tilizers, being lowest for ammonium sulfate and 

 highest for potassium sulfate. Total solids deter- 

 minations on the sap from plants treated with the 

 latter salt were abnormally high. A study of the 

 sugar content of the sap by polarimetric and 

 gravimetric methods showed a larger percentage 

 of sugars in this sap than in that from plants 

 normally fed. This increase was shown to be due 

 to a larger amount of maltose. Starch determi- 

 nations made on the foliage showed a lower con- 

 tent of starch corresponding with the higher mal- 

 tose value. Under greenhouse conditions appli- 

 cations of ammonium sulfate caused an increase 

 in the total acidity of the sap expressed from the 

 shoots. Potassium sulfate caused no change. 

 Sodium phosphate (di) although slightly alkaline 

 to phenolphthalein itself caused an increased total 

 acidity in the sap. This was shown to be due to 

 increased amounts of dihydrogen phosphate in the 

 sap, and the intake of the phosphate from this 

 monohydrogen salt in form of the dihydrogen 

 phosphate to be true in water culture as well as 

 in soil. 



Improved Methods for the Separation of the 

 Higher Saturated Fatty Acids and the Proper- 

 ties of Alfalfa Seed Oil: C. A. Jacobson. 



DIVISION or pharmaceutical chemistry 



F. R. Eldred, Chairman 



A. P. Sy, Secretary 



The AlJcaloidal Content of Syoscyamus grown in 



Minnesota: E. L. Newcomb. 



N. and H. advise treating biennial henbane seed 

 with cone. H.SOj for two and one half minutes in 

 order to secure early and uniform germination. 

 Untreated seed give very variable germination re- 

 sults. 



The observation of two species of biennial 

 Hyoscyamus niger which possess the eemi-latent 

 capacity of growing as annuals is reported. The 

 basal leaves of the biennial S. niger lose about 

 9 per cent, of moisture upon drying. The lamina 

 yield from 14.2 to 14.8 per cent, of ash and 0.0896 

 per cent, of total alkaloids. The petioles of the 

 basal leaves lose 91.6 per cent, of moisture upon 

 drying, yield from 18.9 to 18.8 per cent, of ash 

 and from 0.0896 to 0.1012 per cent, of total alka- 

 loid. The flowering tops of ff. niger annual lose 

 85.06 per cent, of moisture upon drying, yield 

 from 11.41 to 11.66 per cent, of ash and from 

 0.1301 to 0.1561 per cent, of total alkaloid. The 

 flowering tops of B. niger annual var. pallidus 

 lose 84.8 per cent, of moisture upon drying, yield 



