ii. 60 ABSTRACTS OF CHEMICAL PAPERS. Chemistry of Vegetable Physiology and Agriculture. Biochemistry of Micro-organisms. IV. The Fermentation of Formic Acid by Bacillus Kiliense. HART%% FRANZEN and G. GHEVE (Zeitsch. physiol. Chem. 1910 70 19-59. Compare Abstr. 1910 ii 799).-Protocols are given in full to illustrate the action of the Bacillus Riliense in the fermentation of formic acid; its activity is compared with that of the bacilli previously investigated. W. D. H.VEGETABLE PHYSIOLOGY AND AGRICULTURE. ii. 61 New Method for Detecting Reducing and Oxidising Pro- perties of Bacteria. w. H. SCHULTZE (Centr. Bakt. Par. 1910 i 56 544-55 l).-Reductase-agar is prepared as follows Concentrated aqueous sodium hydroxide is added drop by drop to 100 C.C. of boiling water containing 1 gram of a-naphthol until the latter is dissolved.On cooling more sodium hydroxide is added until the solution again becomes clear and light brown in colour The solution is then mixed with a 1% solution of p-nitrosodimethylaniline (equal vols.) filtered and mixed with about two-thirds the volume of ordinary nutritive-agar (liquid) and poured into Petri dishes. Oxydase-agar is prepared by adding a well-filtered mixture of equal volumes of 1% a-naphthol solution (prepared as described above) and 1% p-phenylenedimethyldiamins hydrochloride t o liquefied nutritive- agar (about 3 parts). As the preparation becomes blue in a few hours it must always be freshly prepared. The oxydase-agar may be employed for showing the ovidising action of liquids such as saliva etc.N. H J. M. Mobilisation of the Phosphoric Acid of Soils under the Influence of Bacteria. S. A. SEWERIN (Centr. Bakt. Par. 1910 ii 28,561-580).-The experiments were made with soil (1100 grams) to which finely-ground phosphorite (10 grams) was added. After being sterilised the soil was inoculated and kept for two months and the soluble phosphoric acid determined. During the whole time air was passed through the flasks and the amount of carbon dioxide produced estimated. As regards the production of soluble phosphoric acid the results were negative the amount of readily soluble phosphoric acid being diminished. There was a considerable production of carbon dioxide ten to twenty times as much as in sterilised soil. The disappearance of readily soluble phosphoric acid is attributed partly to its assimilation by the bacteria and partly to purely chemical changes.This does not exclude the possibility that a smaller amount of insoluble phosphoric acid may have been rendered soluble. N. H. J. M. The Formation of Trimethylamine by Bacterium pro- digiosum. D. ACKERMANN and H. SCHUTZE (Chem. Zentr. 1910 2 756 ; from Zentr. Physiot. 1910 24 210-211).-Trimethylamine can be obtained from cultures of B. p9-od~giorrum grown on potatoes. I t s parent substances are choline and lecithin. By the addition of choline or lecithin the yield of trimethylamine is increased up t o twenty-fold. Betaine has no influence. In cultures on peptone-agar no trimethylamine is formed but it occurs when cholino is added. B. vzclgatus on potatoes yields no trimethylamine even if choline is added also.W. D. H. Action of the Bulgarian Ferment on Proteins and Amino- compounds. JEAN EFFRONT (Compt. read. 1910 151 1007-1009). -The Bulgarian ferment contains an enzyme capable of effecting a more profound decomposition of casein than results from the action ofii. 62 ABSTRACTS OF CHEMlCAL PAPERS. pepsin or trgpsin. The liberation of ammonia has been demonstrated when the ferment acts on asparagine milk or Witte's yeptone in presence of calcium carbonate in the latter case the amount set free corresponding with 40% of the total nitrogen. In the author's opinion the value of the Bulgarian ferment in the treatment of gastro-intestinal disorders depends on its ability to decompose proteins rather than on the lactic acid it produces.w. 0. w. Biological Degradation of Carbohydrates. AUGUSTE FERNBACH (Compt. vend. 1910 151 1004-1006).-Starch is readily hydrolysed by Tyrozhrix tenius whether the micro-organism is present in vityo or as a maceration. The successive products are maltose dextrose and dihydroxyacetone. When the organism is cultivated in a medium containing glycerol the trio1 undergoes oxidation to dihydroxgacstone methylglyoxal and two decomposition products of the latter. namely acetic acid and formaldehyde. These are also met with in the later stages of the hydrolysis of starch and sucrose and probably arise from the action of bacterial secretions. w. 0. w. The Behaviour of Yeast Gum in Autolysis and in Alcoholic Fermentation. ERNST SALHOWSKI (Zeit. physiol.CIwm. 1910 89 466-471).-After autolysis and alcoholic fermentation yeast still contains much of the gum but quantitative experiments are not given to determine the amount which disappears. W. D. H. Chemical Disinfectants. SHERTDAN DELESPINE (J. h'oc. Chern. Ind. 1910 29 1344-1354).-The factors influencing the efficiency of a large number of substances used as disinfectants as regards (1) their power of inhibiting the activity of bacteria (2) their bactericidal action are enumerated and discussed. It is pointed out that certain substances even in minute amounts have the property of arresting the multiplication and other activities of bacteria and may be called antiseptics but that the same materials in larger quantities may kill bacteria and are then appropriately named disinfectants.Illustrations are given of substances such as mercuric chloride which may act in both ways time of exposure and concentration of solution apart from the nature and resisting power of the bacteria being the chief factors which determine whether the substance is merely inhibitory or lethal. It is well known that different bacteria show different powers of resistance towards dis- infectants and that in general the spores of a bacillus are far more resistant both to heat and to bactericidal agents than the bacillus itself but it is also the case t h a t different individuals in a pure bacillus culture exhibit different powers of resistance. A series of tests with phenol on cultures of Bucillus coli showed that younger cultures were more resistant than older ones although after some time the resistance became almost constant or diminished very slowly.The drying of Bacillus coli by exposure to air at 14-18' had little effect on its resistance to phenol until about the seventeenth day when the resistance began to diminish. The material associated withVEOEK'ABLE PHYSIOLOGY AND AGRICULTURE. ii. 63 the bacteria and the disinfectant has an important influence on the efficiency of the latter. It is shown that certain substances which when present in sufficient quantity act as disinfectants act as stimulants to the growth of bacteria when present in minute amounts. The Importance of the Temperature Factor in the Determination of the Rate of the Activity of Certain Dis- infectants. R. R. FASSON c. W. PONDER and G.SIMS WOODHEAD (J. Pc6th. Bact. 1910 15 131-133).-The experiments were made with emulsified disinfectants derived from coal-tar (cresols etc.) as com- pared with carbolic acid. Dose and time of action are important factors in estimating their activity but temperature also must be taken into account. At lower temperatures the activity of the emulsion is raised more rapidly than that of the solution but a t the higher temperatures used the activity of the emulsion is no longer increased in proportion to the increase in the activity of the carbolic acid. T. A. H. W. D. H. The Sterilisation of Chalk Waters by the Use of Minute Quantities of Bleaching Powder. G. SIMS WOODHEAD (J. Pccth. Bact. 1910 15 130-131).-The activity of bleaching powder in the destruction of bacteria of the Coli group is very great and large quantities are qiiite unnecessary.The amount of chlorine necessary to kill the whole of the non-sporulating bacilli in Cambridge water is usually one part per seven million parts of water. Various details on the method are added. W. D. H. The Disinfecting Power of Complex Organo-mercury Com- pounds. I. Aromatic Mercurycarboxglic Acids. WALTHER SCRRAUTH and WALTER SCHOELLER (Zeitsch. Ryg. Ivfect. 1910 66 497-504).-Tbe disinfecting power of a number of derivatives of sodium hydroxy-o-mercuribenzoate OH*HgmC,H4*C0,Na was compared in order to ascertain the effect of the introduction of various groups on this property. It was found that by substituting the hydroxy- group by groups having a stronger afliaity for silver such as iodine cyanogen or veronal the disinfecting power was decreased.With sulphur i t was still further decreased wbilst the power was almost entirely lost in compounds in which both valencies of the mercury were attached to the benzene ring such as in sodium mercuridibenzoate Hg(C,H,*CO,Na),. W. J. Y. The Pentosan Content OL Various Fungi. J. L. WICHERS and BERNHARD TOLLENS (J. Lundw. 1910 58 238-242).-Various fungi growing on wood were examined and found to contain pentosans and in some cases methylpentosans. The amount varied from 2.5% in Frametea odorata to 6.7% in LenxitesJEaccida ; methylpentosans were found also in Xyfavia polymorphu and Eomes fomentarius. Estimations made a t the same time by the quicker method of Boddener and Tollens (see this vol.,sii 75) always gave rather lower results.E. J. R. HENRI H~RISSEY and C. LEBAS (J. Yiiurm. Chrm. 1910 [vii] 2 490-494).-The glucoside Occurrence of Aucubin in Garrya app.ii. 64 ABSTRACTS OF CHEMICAL PAPERS. aucubin was first isolated from Aucubn jcqonicu (Abstr. 1902 i 634) and has since then been recorded by Bourdier (Th&e Paris 1908) in Plantago spp. I n the present investigation it was isolated not quite pure and in small amount from the stem and leaves of Gclrrya elliptica G. macrophylla and G. Thureti. T. A. H. The Carbohydrates of White Pepper. K. H. BODDENER and BERNHARD TOLLENS (J. Landw. 1910 58 229-231).-1t has already been shown that white peppsr in addition to its 54% of starch 1% of ethereal oil and 4 to 9% of piperin contains also pentosans and methylpentosans or at least substances that give furfuraldehyde and methylfurfuraldehyde on distillation with hydro- chloric acid.The authors have endeavoured to investigate further these pentosans but without success. The methods used for separating the piperin and the starch with its transformation products removed also the greater part of the pentosans so that the amount remaining after the final purification was too small for separation. The Root of the Kermek (Statice Plumbaginaoeae). G. POVARNIN and A. SEKQETEFF (J. Russ. Phys. Chern. ~ o c . 1910 42 1084-1034).-The root of the kerrnek (Statice Gmelini) contains tannides 15-70% sugars 2.03% soluble substances 30.1 5% non-tanning substances 14.45% water 10.76% ash 4*23% resins 0.34% some amine (probably alkaloids) a trace of gallic acid possibly some phloroglucinol and a glucotannide. Kermek and similar tanning roots should be analysed as far as possible without access of air The tanning sub- stances in the root are readily oxidised and consist of at least two tannides red and yellow which can be distinguished by the differently coloured lead calcium and barium salts ; the tannides also give charac- teristic reactions with silver and cadmium nitrates formic acid and concentrated sulphuric and hydrochloric acids.On dry distillation the tannides yield pyrogallol. Violuric acid is recommended as a reagent for the detection of basic The Death of Plants at Low Temperatures. A. A. RICHTER (Bull. Acad. Sci. St. Petersburg 1910 1251 -1260).-AspwgiZlus niger when exposed to very low temperatures ceases to evolve carbon dioxide and loses all the .properties of living protoplasm neither does it regain these a t 18-19"; but it revives rapidly at 30-34' even if it had previously been frozen at the temperature of a mixture of ether and solid carbon dioxide E. .J. R. substances in plants. 2. K. Z . R. Effect of Road Tarring on Vegetation. MARCEL NIRANDE (Compt. Tend. 1910,151,949-952. Compare Abstr. 1910 ii 884).- The vapour of hydrocarbons arising from tar or asphalt exercises an injurious action on vegetation producing blackening of the leaves characteristic of death of the protoplasm. The effects observed are not due to actual contact with particles of tar since them in common with solid hydrocarbons such as naphthalene or anthracene have very little action-when applied to plants i n the state of fine powder.w. 0. w-.VEGETABLE PHYSIOLOGY AND AGRICULTURE. ii. 65 Influence of Different Volatile Substances on Higher Vegetation. HENRI COUPIN (Compt. rend. 19 10 151 1066-1067). -The author classifies forty-seven aliphatic and aromatic volatile substances into five groups according to their relative toxicity towards germinating wheat. The action of the same compound differs in intensity with different plants. The grains are more open to attack at the earlier stages of germination than when the aerial organs have attained development. w. 0. w The Presence of Arginine and Hiatidine in Soils. Pyrimidine Derivatives and Purins Bases in Soils. OSWALD SCHREINER and I ~ M U N D c. SHOREY (J Biol.Chern. 1910 8 381-384 385-393).- I n soils the products of cleavage of proteins of vegetable origin can be separated out. Those identified in the present research were argitiine and histidine in variable proportions cytosine xanthine hypoxanthine and picolinecarboxylic acid. W. D. H. Calcium or Sodium Nitrate [as Manure]. PAUL WAGNER Bisd. Zmtr. 1910 3 9 729-731 ; from 1Mitt. deut. Zanndw. Ges. 1910 St. 8 107-109).-1n field experiments with mangolds winter rye arid barley somewhat higher yields were obtained with sodium nitrate than with calcium nitrate whilst in the case of sugar beet potatoes and oats the yields were rather higher when calcium nitrate mas employed. N. H. J. M. Manurial Action of Ammonium Sulphate in Conjunction with Sodium Chloride. BERNHARD SCHULZE (Bied. Zewtr. 1910 39 731-733; from Atfdt. deut. Zandw. Ges. 1910 St. 30 452-458). -It is shown by field experiments that when sodium chloride is applied along with ammonium sulphate the manurial value of the ammonium salt becomes about equal to that of sodium nibrate. N. H. J. hf. Employment of Nitrogenous Manures for Sugar Beet. B. ERREN Fa. PRACHFELD and W. VILIKOVSKY (Bied. Zentr. 1910 39 782-783 ; from Mitt. 2andw.-botan. Versuchsstat. Tabor).-Moderate amounts of sodium nitrate increased the yield of roots whilst larger amounts oiily increased leaf production. Calcium nitrate gave almost the same results as sodium nitrate. Calcium cyanamide only increased the yield slightly and liquid manure had less effect than sodium nitrate. In moderate amounts nitrogenous manures had no or very slight injurious effect on the amount of sugar in the roots and had no effect on the amounts of non-sugars. N. €3. J. -M. 5 VOL. C. ii.