702 



SCIENGE. 



[N. S. Vol. XI. No. 279. 



Farther tests have revealed the fact that 

 various enzyme preparations of commerce, 

 a,s emulsin, papain, trypsin, may have no 

 trace of the power of catalyzing hydrogen 

 peroxid and nevertheless be very powerful 

 in their specific actions, and it is evidently 

 only due to another substance of enzyme 

 nature present as an impurity when the 

 common enzymes exhibit that catalytic 

 power on hydrogen peroxid. This specific 

 substance occurs in an insoluble and in a 

 soluble form. The former seems to be a 

 compound of the latter, a kind of albumose, 

 with a nucleo-proteid. There seems to exist 

 no plant and no animal which is without 

 that peculiar enzyme, which the writer pro- 

 poses to name catalase from its catalytic ac- 

 tion on hydrogen peroxide. It belongs to 

 the group of the oxidizing enzymes.* 



In aqueous solution this enzyme is ' killed' 

 between 72° and 75° C. Its action on hy- 

 drogen peroxide is retarded by certain salts, 

 especially nitrates of the alkaline metals, and 

 stimulated by others, as sodium carbonate. 



One of the functions of this enzyme ap- 

 pears to be to prevent any accumulation of 

 hydrogen peroxid which might be formed 

 as a by-product in the series of energetic 

 oxidations that characterize the cellular 

 respiration process. Hydrogen peroxid is 

 a poison for the living protoplasm, hence 

 the activity of catalase is of vital impor- 

 tance. Eecent investigations of Eugen 

 Bamberger and also of Manchot leave no 

 doubt that hydrogen peroxid is generally 

 produced in the process of autoxidations of 

 many labile organic compounds when ex- 

 posed to air. 



A detailed investigation of catalase will 

 be published in a special Bulletin of the U. 

 S. Department of Agriculture. 



oscak loew. 



Laboratory of Plant Physiology and 

 Pathology, Washington, D. C. 



*It also plays a role in the ' sweating' process of 

 . tobacco. 



THE RECENT ANNUAL RECEPTION AND EX- 

 SIBITION OF THE NEW YORK ACADEMY 



OF SCIENCES. 

 The seventh annual reception of the 'Sew 

 York Academy of Sciences took place April 

 25th and 26th, at the American Museum of 

 Natural History. A beautiful and spacious 

 hall on the main floor in the east wing was 

 assigned by the Museum authorities and 

 proved admirably adapted for the purpose. 

 The several branches of science were in 

 charge of the following specialists, who to- 

 gether made up the general committee : 



Anthropology, Franz Boas. 

 Astronomy, J. K. Eees. 

 Botany, D. T. MacDougal. 

 Chemistry, C. E. Pellew. 

 Electricity, Geo. F. Sever. 

 Geology and Geography, E. E. Dodge. 

 Metallurgy, H. M. Howe. 

 3Iineralogy, L. McI. Luquer. 

 Paleontology, Gilbert van Ingen. 

 Physics and Photography, Wm . Hallook . 

 Psychology, Edw. L. Thorndike. 

 Zoology, Charles L. Bristol. 



In the section of Anthropology, some of 

 the interesting collections of the Jesup and 

 Huntington expeditions to the northwest 

 coast were shown. They illustrated de- 

 signs in gold from the Amoor river ; the 

 archaeology of the coast of southern British 

 Columbia, including jade implements from 

 graves, that were very striking ; and im- 

 plements of the Eskimo of Southampton 

 Island. In addition, symbolism among 

 the Arapahos received attention, and 

 basketry work from California was well 

 represented. In the section of Astronomy 

 the work of many observatories was ex- 

 hibited through the courtesy of their Du-ec- 

 tors. The Lick observatory showed photo- 

 graphs of nebulffi ; the Lowell observatory 

 at Flagstaff, Arizona, its recent work on 

 planets and satelUtes ; the University of 

 Pennsylvania, its results with the zenith 

 telescope ; Sir Norman Lockyer, his en- 

 largement of the spectrum of Alpha Cygni, 



