326 
Developments  in  Organic  Compounds. 
Am.  Jour  Pbarm. 
July,  1901. 
RECENT   DEVELOPMENTS   IN   THE   STUDY   OF  THE 
RELATIONSHIP  BETWEEN  CHEMICAL  CONSTI- 
TUTION AND  PHYSIOLOGICAL  ACTION 
OF  ORGANIC  COMPOUNDS. 
By  Prof.  Virgin  Coblentz. 
( Concluded  from  p.  272. ) 
RELATIONSHIP  BETWEEN  TASTE  AND  CHEMICAL  CONSTITUTION. 
Sweet  and  bitter  taste  has  long  played  a  very  important  part  in 
modern  medicine  and  pharmacy.  Formerly  resort  was  always  had 
to  the  use  of  corrigents.  However,  of  late  years,  synthetic  chem- 
istry has  endeavored  to  solve  this  question  from  a  purely  scientific 
standpoint,  through  the  introduction  of  certain  groups  which  would 
not  interfere  in  any  manner  with  the  therapeutic  effects  of  the 
original  substance. 
In  alcohols  of  the  aliphatic  series  the  sweetness  increases  to  a 
certain  extent  with  the  number  of  entering  hydroxyl  groups,  as  for 
example,  the  glycols,  glycerol,  mannitol.  The  polyhydric  alcohols 
are  less  sweet  than  their  corresponding  aldehydes  and  ketones,  as 
for  example,  mannitol  and  its  aldoses  and  ketoses. 
CH.OH  CH2OH  CH9OH 
I  I  I 
(CHOH)4  (CHOH)4  (CHOH)3 
CH2OH 
Mannitol. 
C 
O 
H 
An  Aldose. 
CO 
CH2OH 
A  Ketose. 
According  to  W.  Sternberg,  the  hydroxyl  (OH)  and  amido 
(NH2)  groups  are  taste  generators,  the  entrance  of  one  hydroxyl 
carries  odor  and  two  or  more  taste.  The  presence  of  a  carboxyl 
group  produces  in  all  cases  a  sour  taste.  Stereo  geometrical  con- 
figurations play  no  part.  This  investigator  also  claims  that  a  cer- 
tain harmonic  relation  between  the  substituting  hydroxyl  and  the 
substituted  alkyl  groups  is  necessary  for  the  development  of  sweet 
taste.  Every  alkyl  group  must  stand  opposite  a  hydroxyl,  as  is  the 
case  in  glycerol  and  mannitol.  The  alkyl  groups  may  be  per- 
mitted to  exceed  the  hydroxyls  by  one  member  only,  so  that  the 
