118 
same kind of oxidations as are accomplished by the oxidases, and that 
between the two sorts of oxidizing agents there is the closest sort of 
agreement, and in this connection they have made a number of inter- 
esting observations which would seem to indicate that the vegetable 
oxidases are not single enzymes but mixtures of peroxidases and 
peroxide-forming substances, to which they have given the name 
oxygenase.” 
i o 
THE OXIDASE A MIXTURE OF PEROXIDASE AXD OXYGENASE. 
As early as 1S98, Linossier ( 273 ), in discussing the function of the 
peroxidases, stated that the oxidases fix the oxygen of the air, forming 
peroxides which are destroyed by the peroxidases as fast as they are 
formed. 
In the course of their investigations on the “Function of Peroxides 
in the Living Cell Bach and Chodat ( 27 ) found that by the fractional 
precipitation of an aqueous solution of the oxidase of a fungus, Lac- 
tarius veUereus , by alcohol, two fractions could be obtained possessing 
markedly different properties. The first of these is almost insoluble 
in 40 per cent alcohol and was found to have the properties of a weak 
oxidase. The second substance is soluble m 40 per cent alcohol but 
insoluble in pure alcohol, and has no oxidizing powers. This second 
substance, however, was found to impart great activity to hydrogen 
peroxide as an oxidizing agent, and not only has it the power of con- 
ferring activity upon hydrogen peroxide, but also upon organic 
peroxides, such as ethyl hydro-peroxide, etc., and what is even more 
interesting, it was also found to impart activity to the weak oxidase 
composing the first fraction obtained hi the precipitation of the Lac- 
tarius extract. In a recent paper these authors ( 31 ) give the following 
interesting results of then experiments with these substances: 
' 
Pyrogallol. 
Horse- 
radish 
peroxidase 
solution. 
Lactarius 
peroxidase 
solution. 
Lactarius 
oxygenase 
Oxygen 
absorbed. 
Carbon 
dioxide 
evolved. 
1 gram. 
c. c. 
15 
c. c. 
Gram. 
c. c. 
0.5 
c. c. 
0.1 
1 gram. 
1 gram, 
lgram. 
1 gram. 
1 gram. 
0. 059 
3.1 
1.1 
15 
0.059 
9.9 
0.2 
5. 5 
15 
0.0 
0. 05 
3.1 
1.1 
15 
0.05 
11.0 
6.8 
These results show conclusively that the oxidizing power of the 
oxygenases is greatly increased by the peroxidases in general, and 
still more greatly increased by the peroxidase from the same source 
as the oxygenase itself. 
