44 
to determine with any degree of accuracy the influence of chemical 
constitution on those changes which can be brought about by means of 
the unorganized ferments. 
It should be observed in this connection that these observations have 
not been made consecutively, but from time to time whenever the 
material could be obtained. It has therefore been impracticable to 
make use of the same specimen of Mpase throughout the investigation. 
This, together with the fact that the experiments were carried out at 
ordinary temperature, which of course varies within narrow limits 
from day to day, accounts for the fact that the same amount of a 
given ethereal salt has not always been hydrolyzed by the same volume 
of clear lipase during equal intervals. In every series of experiments, 
however, some of the more common ethereal salts, such as methyl or 
ethyl acetate, or ethyl butyrate, have been included, in order to afford 
the proper basis of comparison. 
THE EFFECT OF THE ALKYL RADICAL ON THE LIPOLYTIC HYDROLYSIS 
OF ETHEREAL SALTS. 
In order to determine the effect of certain alkyl radicals on the 
lipolytic hydrolysis of various ethereal salts, the following experi- 
ments were tried: 
Fifty cubic centimeters of N/100 aqueous solutions of the ethereal 
salts named in Table I were brought together with 5 cc. of a clear 
solution of liver lipase and the mixture allowed to stand at ordinary 
temperature for a certain length of time, usually one hour. The solu- 
tions were then titrated with N/ 10 sodium hydroxide, with the following 
results: 
Table I. 
No. of 
series. 
No. of 
experi- 
ment. 
Name of ester. 
Time. 
Cubic centi- 
meters N'ftO 
sodium hy- 
droxide re- 
quired. 
Per cent of 
hydrolysis. 
1 
J 1 
l 2 
Methyl formate 
1 hour 
0. 80 
16.0 
Ethvl formate 
do 
.87 
17.4 
r 3 
Methyl formate 
do 
.50 
10.0 
2 
1 4 
Ethyl formate 
do 
.60 
12.0 
f 5 
Methyl acetate 
do 
.50 
10.0 
3 
6 
Ethyl acetate 
do 
.40 
8.0 
7 
Allvl acetate 
do 
. 55 
11.0 
8 
Methyl acetate 
2J hours 
.85 
17. 0 
4 
9 
Ethyl acetate 
do 
.90 
18. 0 
10 
Benzyl acetate 
do 
1.00 
20.0 
n 
Methyl acetate 
15 hours 
2.00 
40.0 
12 
Ethyl acetate 
do 
2. 45 
49.0 
5 
13 
Methyl propionate 
do 
3.35 
67.0 
14 
Ethyl propionate 
do 
3. 95 
79.0 
6 
15 
Methyl butyrate 
1 hour 
1. 10 
22.0 
\ 16 
Ethyi butyrate 
do 
1.30 
26.0 
7 
/ 17 
Methyl benzoate 
do 
.35 
7.0 
\ 18 
Ethyl benzoate 
.do 
.45 
9.0 
l 
- 
