112 



THE NATURE OF ANIMAL LIGHT 



able pyrogallol - H2O2 mixture, which is comparable to 

 luciferin. Curiously enough, although many hydroxy- 

 phenol and amino-phenol compounds can be oxidized by 

 peroxidase and HjOj, only pyrogallol and gallic acid will 

 oxidize with light production. Many other oxidizers can 

 take the place of the peroxidase. A list of these is given 

 on page 151. No other peroxide can take the place of 

 H2O2 with peroxidases as oxidizers, but a few can replace 

 H2O2 with other oxidizers. This is brought out in Table 7. 



Table 7 

 Peroxides Giving Light loith Pyrogallol and Oxidizers 



Our knowledge of the existence of such analogous, 

 purely organic chemical oxidations, which proceed with 

 light production, greatly strengthens Dubois ' theory that 



