ALKALOIDS, LATEX AND OXIDASES IN PAPAVER SOMNIFERUM 5 
bottom of the beaker gave a strong oxidase reaction. The cause of 
the disappearance of the oxidase reaction from the brown surface 
solution was next sought. 
A very active oxidase solution was prepared by quickly grinding 
up buds in distilled water and filtering off the solid portions. This 
solution which immediately began to take on a brownish tinge on 
exposure to the air was quickly divided into two portions. One was 
put into a bottle which was completely filled, tightly stoppered and 
placed near the bottle through which air was being drawn. After 
about 20 hours the aerated solution was found to have taken on a 
dark-reddish brown color suggesting a coffee infusion indicating that 
an intense action had taken place under the influence of the greatly 
increased air contact. This solution showed an almost complete loss 
of the oxidase reaction when tested with guaiac tincture. The second 
portion preserved out of contact with the air and which showed no 
clear deepening of color during the interval gave a very strong oxidase 
reaction. Both solutions were neutral to litmus. It seemed to be 
indicated that either the oxidase had been exhausted during the 
reaction if still present or had been in some way inactivated. 
It was thought possible that products of oxidation that without 
doubt had accumulated in the solution during aeration might in some 
way have inhibited the oxidase reaction. Accordingly an attempt 
was made to free at least partially the supposed enzyme from these 
products. The dark colored solution was treated with three volumes 
of commercial alcohol and the resulting bulky flocculent pale-colored 
precipitate filtered off after about two or thiee hours. The filtrate 
retained the brown color almost completely. The washed precipitate 
was thrown into a volume of distilled water equal to about half the 
volume of the original solution. As is usual with such precipitates a 
considerable part remained undissolved. The solution obtained 
carried a trace of color but not sufficient to obscure a definite oxidase 
reaction. Test with guaiac tincture, however, failed to give even 
minimum traces of such a reaction. Since by the same method active 
oxidases were regularly prepared from fresh material, it was clear 
that the process of isolation had not destroyed the enzymes. Although 
a considerable part of the products of enzyme action had without doubt 
been removed no return of oxidase activity was seen, a fact strengthen- 
ing the suggestion that the enzyme was exhausted or inactivated 
through use. It is of course not clear to what degree the process of 
