810 
SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
Vegetable Trypsin in the Fruit of Cucumis.* * * § — According to Prof. 
J. R. Green the fruit of Cucumis utilissimus contains in its juice and in 
its pericarp a proteo-hydrolytic ferment capable of dissolving coagulated 
egg-albumen. This ferment is either a globulin in nature, or is 
associated with a globulin in the cells of the plant. Like papain, it 
works best in a slightly alkaline medium, less readily in a neutral one, 
and least of all in the presence of acid. Like papain, it effects a very 
complete decomposition of the albumen, giving rise to peptone, and later 
to leucin. It is, therefore, a ferment allied to the trypsin, or rather to 
the pepsin, of the animal organism. 
New Gums from Leguminosse.t — Mr. J. H. Maiden describes a 
gum of the nature of a kino which exudes from the “native Wistaria” 
of New South Wales ( Milletia megasperma). It is a beautiful ruby- 
coloured transparent substance, and consists almost entirely of a tannin 
and water. Also another from the “ barrister” ( Mezoneurum ScortecJiinii ), 
a horny gelatinous gum swelling up, but only slightly soluble, in cold 
water, soluble in dilute hydrochloric acid, and possessing properties 
very similar to those of tragacanth. 
Action of Anilin on the Green Leaves of Plants.! — Dr. E. Schunck 
and Mr. G. Brebner refer again to the action of anilin on many green 
leaves, manifested by the disappearance of the usual green, and the 
development of an intense brown colour, due to the formation of a 
peculiar well-defined crystallizable substance, anilinophyll. The forma- 
tion of this substance is not, however, necessarily connected with the 
presence of chlorophyll, but is due to a process of oxidation which the 
anilin undergoes under certain conditions. The composition of anilino- 
phyll is given as C 24 H 19 N 3 0 ; its properties are described in detail. 
The rapidity with which it is formed varies greatly with different 
leaves ; some do not turn brown at all under the action of anilin ; while 
it is formed equally in etiolated leaves. In the opinion of the authors 
the phenomenon here described proves the existence in the cells of many 
plants, especially of the leaves, of some form of active oxygen in 
immediate proximity to, or associated with, the protoplasm during the 
living state of the cell. 
Mineral Constituents of Etiolated Leaves.§ — From experiments, 
chiefly on wheat, Pisum sativum , and tobacco, Prof. W. Palladin finds that 
the proportion of ash is much less in etiolated than in green leaves, and 
this he attributes to the diminished transpiration. The hypocotyl, on 
the contrary, of etiolated contains a larger quantity of ash than that of 
green leaves. Etiolated leaves are especially deficient in lime. When 
the transpiration is repressed, the amount of starch in leaves is enor- 
mously increased. 
(3) Structure of Tissues. 
Composition of Vegetable Tissues. || — According to M. G. Bertrand, 
lignified vegetable tissues consist essentially of four ingredients, cellu- 
* Ann. of Bot., vi. (1892) pp. 195-202. 
f Proc. Linn. Soc. New South Wales, vi. (J892) pp. 679-81. 
X Ann. of Bot., vi. (1892) pp. 167-84. 
§ Ber. Deutsch. Bot. Gesell., x. (1892) pp. 179-83. 
j^Comptes Rendus, cxiv. (1892) pp. 1492-4. 
