Adrian Brown. 



IX 



at all soluble in water — such as acetic acid and its honaologues, chloro- 

 form, even hydrocarbons such as benzene. These all pass into the corn 

 together with water and actually accelerate the passage of water into the 

 grain. It is no question of molecular size : such molecules do not penetrate 

 the membrane because of their smaller size ; on the contrary, butyric acid 

 enters more rapidly than acetic and the alcohols of the ethylic series pass- 

 through the more rapidly the greater their molecular weight, so long as they 

 are reasonably soluble in water. 



Eventually an equilibrium is reached within the corn and the concentra- 

 tion of the solution may become higher than in the liquid outside ; it has- 

 even been observed, in the case of phenol and aniline, that the internal 

 solution is " supersaturated." To take an example, when the corns are 

 saturated in a solution containing 50 per cent, of acetic acid, the solution 

 within contains 80 per cent, of the acid — but this is the limit, no more passing 

 in from stronger solutions. 



Previous observers on the passage of such substances through living 

 tissues have correlated their relative activity and their lethal power with 

 the solubility in fats, and have postulated the existence of a lipoid layer 

 at the tissue surfaces. Adrian Brown's observations justify us in putting 

 aside all such fancy explanations — the correlation is of consequence only in so- 

 far as the solubility referred to of substances in oils and fats is usually the 

 converse of their solubility in water. 



A full discussion of the work Adrian Brown accomplished and its bearing 

 on contemporary inquiries, by the writer, is published in the 'Journal of 

 the Institute of Brewing,' 1921, vol. 27, pp. 197-260. From the point of 

 view advocated in the present notice, his exemplary career and achieve- 

 ments merit most careful attention. His genius lay not on the surface but 

 was manifest in a continuity of effort which, in sum, was remarkably 

 effective. His work was an expression of himself: it came from within: 

 but that he was induced, if not forced, to display his genius owing to the 

 influence of the conducive environment in which he was placed is probably 

 a not unwarrantable conclusion. Chamber music such as the Burtonians have 

 discoursed so successfully might well and should be more cultivated, not only 

 in industry but in the new Universities, even at Oxford. 



H. E. A. 



