CURRENT LITERATURE 
BOOK REVIEWS 
an excellent historical résumé of the subject. The constantly growing recoghh a 
tion of the important réle of oxidases and related oxygen catalysts in biological 
processes, as well as the rapidly growing literature on the subject, makes 4 sum- 
mary of the real contributions especially valuable at the present time. 
The first chapter deals with the important past and present theories of oxida- 
tion, beginning with SCHOENBEIN’s ozone theory. After a brief discussion of 
theory of ionization, Hoppe SEYLER’s nascent hydrogen theory, and the peroxid 
theory of TRAUBE, ENGLER, and Bac. The conception which involves 20 
exchange of electrical potential in oxidations, however, is not mentioned. : 
The second chapter takes up the oxidizing ferments, and begins with a dis- 
cussion of their réle and range in biochemical processes. This is followed by a 
detailed account of the guaicum reaction, since our first knowledge of oxidizing 
ferments is so closely associated with the reaction. The historical treatment 
of oxygen exciters and oxygen carriers is divided into two periods. The © 
covers the first sixty years of the nineteenth century, with SCHOENBEIN’S Com 
tributions standing out as the most important. He supposed that by means 
ozonized. These substances may in turn combine with ozone thus produ 
form an active ozonid, which in turn can give up its oxygen to other less readily 
oxidizable substances. Thus the presence of oxygen activators and carriers bee 
recognized, and the most important characteristics of oxidases and peroxidases 
discovered, although up to this time these terms had not been introduced int? 
science. 
(1858) established the chemical entity of oxidizing ferments and their Im 
portance in acting as chemical go-betweens between free or combi ed oxye 
« Kastie, J. H., The oxidases and other oxygen catalysts concerned in piological 
oxidations. U.S. Public Health and Marine Hospital Service, Hygienic +* 
Bull. 59. 1909. < 
150 
