cipitate was filtered off and discarded. The solution was then heated 

 to boiling and more basic lead acetate added and the solution was 

 finally made strongly alkaline with ammonia and allowed to stand over 

 night. This precipitate was filtered and washed in water and then 

 decomposed in aqueous suspension with hydrogen sulfide. The filtrate 

 was concentrated on the water-bath and the inosite brought to crystal- 

 lization by the addition of alcohol. After recrystallizing several times 

 0.5 gram of pure inosite was obtained in the characteristic needle- 

 shaped crystals. It gave the reaction of Scherer and melted at 218° C. 

 (uncorrected). 



THE HYDROLYSIS OF THE ORGANIC PHOSPHORUS 



COMPOUND OF WHEAT BRAN 



BY THE ENZYME PHYTASE 



Total and inorganic phosphorus were determined in extracts pre- 

 pared from wheat bran. The extracts were prepared by digesting 

 wheat bran in water or dilute acid for varying lengths of time, the 

 particulars and details being given at the beginning of each table- 

 Total phosphorus was determined after decomposing by the Neumann 

 method. Inorganic phosphorus was determined as follows : The ex- 

 tract was diluted with some 50 cc. of water, 15 grams of ammonium 

 nitrate were added and then warmed to 65° on the water-bath. It 

 was then strongly acidified with nitric acid and the phosphorus pre- 

 cipitated with ammonium molybdate and the solution kept at the above 

 temperature for half an hour. Under these conditions there is no 

 danger of eleavage of the organic phosphorus, at least weighable quan- 

 tities of phosphorus are not precipitated during this time from prepar- 

 ations which are free from inorganic phosphate. Plimmer has also 

 shown that it is necessary to heat phytin solutions with N/1 or 2N/1 



Table 2 



CHANGES IN CONDITION OF PHOSPHORUS IN WHEAT BRAN 

 BY WATER DIGESTION 



Time 



Total 



Phosphorus 



in Extract 



% 



Inorganic 

 Phosphorus 

 in Extract 



% 



Part of Total 



Phorphorus in 



Inorganic Form 



% 



}/l hour. 

 1 " . 

 .4 hours 

 20 " 

 24 " 



0.362 

 0.420 

 0.508 

 0.6SS 

 0.747 



0.165 

 0.239 

 0.383 

 0.576 

 0.660 



45.77 

 56.95 

 75.34 

 88.00 

 88.43 



48 



