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lytic ferments in the liver for the reason that an aqueous extract of 
this organ can hydrolyze a large number of ethereal salts, and it would 
indeed be surprising to find that an oxidase, such as laccase, could 
oxidize but one substance, viz, laccol, and not other phenols, espe- 
cially in view of the close analogy existing between this compound 
and the phenols as to constitution and properties. On the other 
hand certain of the oxidases are apparently as specific in their effects 
as any other ferment; thus tyrosinase has the power of bringing about 
the oxidation of tyrosin, whereas the latter is not acted upon by 
laccase. Effront ( 156 ) is of the opinion that the individuality of tyro- 
sinase and laccase has been established definitely, so that conclusions 
of this kind are open to considerable objection. 
Sjolleman ( 403 ) states that by adding a solution of Seignette salt to 
a solution of manganous sulfate or acetate, and then hydrogen per- 
oxide and then sodium hydroxide, one obtains a dark brown solution 
of manganous oxide, which shows itself to be colloidal on dialysis 
and toward electrolytes, and which retains its dark brown color for 
several weeks. This solution has been found to give characteristic 
reactions for the oxidases, and to decompose hydrogen peroxide like 
potassium permanganate. The author calls attention to the occur- 
rence of manganese in plants as of interest in this connection, and 
states that manganese probably plays an important role in the oxida- 
tions occurring in the soil. (See Schreiner and Reed ( 390 ) . 
PEROXIDASE ACCELERATORS AND AUXILIARY OXYGEN CARRIERS. 
In his investigation of the ozonic reactions of certain mushrooms it 
was shown b} T Schoenbein ( 378 ) that guaiacum blue (believed by him to 
be an ozonid), which results from the action of the juices of such fungi 
on tincture of guaiacum, can in turn oxidize other oxidizable sub- 
stances, as a result of which action the guaiacum blue is reduced and 
decolorized. It has been recently shown by Kastle ( 239 ) that per- 
oxidase oxidations also are in many cases greatly accelerated by the 
action of certain phenols. Thus it was observed by Kastle and 
Porch ( 246 ) that the oxidation of guaiacum, paraphenylen diamin, 
and phenolphthalin by hydrogen peroxide under the influence of the 
peroxidase of milk is greatly accelerated by phenol, the cresols, and 
by beta-naphthol, and similar results have been obtained by 
Kastle ( 239 ) with peroxidases from a number of different sources. 
According to this author the peroxidase accelerators probably act in 
the capacity of auxiliary oxygen carriers and are themselves more or 
less, completely oxidized in such processes. Thus if P represents the 
peroxidase, A the auxiliary oxygen carrier, and B the peroxidase 
reagent, that is, the substances whose oxidation is really under obser- 
