22 Report of Schimmel $ Co. April 1913. 



Decomposition of amygdalin did not occur in the preparations but in the material 

 itself with: 



Seeds: Strophantus Kombe, 01., S. hispidus, DC, Sinapis alba, L. 



Fruits: Pimpinella Anisum, L., Coriandrwn sativum, L. 



Flowers: Lamium album, L. 



Leaves and herb: Juglans regia, L., Rubus Ldceus, L., Prunus Laurocerasus, L., 



Pulmonaria officinalis, L, Atropa Belladonna, L. 

 Subterranean organs: Arum maculatum, L, Triticum repens, L. 

 Fruit bodies: Polyporus sulfureus, Fries. 



2. The synthetic experiment gave a positive result with preparations from the following 

 material: 



Seeds: Pangium edule, Reinw., Hydnocarpus Wightiana, Bl., Cydonia vulgaris, 

 Pers., Eriobotrya japonica, Lindl., Pirus Malus, L., P. communis, L, Prunus 

 Amygdalus, Stokes var. amara, Prunus Armeniaca, L, P. A. var. dulcis, P. 

 avium, L., P. domestica, L. and P. Persica, Stokes. 



Fruits: Coriandrum sativum. L., Sorbus Aucuparia, L. 



Flowers: Prunus spinosa, L., Crataegus Oxyacantha, L., Achillea Millefolium, L. 



Stigmata: Zea Mays, L. 



Leaves and herb: Taraktogenos Blumei, Hssk., Prunus Laurocerasus, L., Sambucus 

 nigra, L. 



Bark: Prunus Padiis,L. } P. virginiana, L. 



Subterranean organs: Sambucus Ebulus, L. 



3. Decomposition of nitrile gave a positive result with preparations of the following 

 material: 



Seeds: Pangium edide, Reinw., Hydnocarpus Wightiana, Bl. with all the Pomacece 



and Prunacece quoted under 2. 

 Fruits: Fceniculum vulgare, Mill., Pimpinella Anisum, L., Coriandrum sativum, L., 



Cuminum Cyminum, L., Anethum graveolens, L., Petroselinum sativum, L., Sorbus 



Aucuparia, L. 

 Flowers: Prunus spinosa, L., Crataegus Oxyacantha, L., Achillea Millefolium, L. 

 Leaves and herb: Prunus Laurocerasus, L., Aquilegia vulgaris, L. 

 Bark: Prunus Padus, L., P. virginiana, L. 



It is remarkable that the leaves of Taraktogenos Blumei contain an enzyme which 

 in the synthetic experiment does not afford d-benzaldehyde cyanohydrin, as do the 

 enzymes of the Prunacew, but the Z-modification, and which may therefore be designated 

 as Z-oxynitrilese. 



In the preparation of emulsin from plant material the behaviour towards alcohol 

 of different degrees of concentration must be taken into account, and in this matter 

 E. Bourquelot and M. Bridel ') have made interesting experiments. They have found that 

 in warming with dilute alcohol (50 to 80 p. c.) the emulsin loses its activity at a much 

 lower temperature than is the case in heating with concentrated spirit. After boiling 

 emulsin for 2 minutes with absolvftefafcohol, none of its activity had been lost. In 

 order to kill the ferments which are "contained in the plants it is therefore advisable 

 not to use absolute alcohol, but alco«bo? of about 60 p.c. This concentration is obtained 

 by dipping green parts of plants in boiling 95 p. c. alcohol, or by treating dry plant- 



x ) Journ. tie Pharm. et Chim. VII. 7 (1913), 27, 65. 



