young ministerial candidate that his vision of the words "P. C." meant "plow corn" rather than "Preach Christ." I n as courageous a fashion we must tell our students that M. C. means not only Member of Congress, but "make chemicals." R. E. B o m ~ W~WNOIDT N x m s SCHOOL WIL~NCTON DBLAWARL~ .
Mechanism of Enzyme Action and Associated Cell Phenomena. F. F. NORD of the Physiologische Institut, Tieraerzlick4 Hockschule, Berlin. The Williams and Wilkins Co., Baltimore, 1929. 71 pp., 7 figs. Bibliography 7 pp. containing 189 references. 15 X 23 cm. $2.00. The author has tried to give, in this small book, a brief survey of some of the more recent views and theories, mcluding his own, concerning the chemistry of alcoholic fermentation, but does not attempt t o discuss enzyme action in general as the title might suggest A considerable part of the book'$ contents has already been presented in previous papers, [See Chemical Reviews, 3, 41-79 (1926); The Journal of Bi,,l,logkd Chumistry, 79, 27-51 (1928): . . . Proloelasma, 4. 547-95 (1928)l. Among the more outstanding ideas brought forward may be mentioned: the way ethylene influences the colloidal condition of zymase, not only peptizing it but coating the surface and protecting i t from the action of the end products of the reaction; and the plausibility of the Cannizzaro Transformation taking place between unlike aldehydes which might be present in the fermenting solution. The reviewer has found the style of presentation rather involved, even tortuous and confusing in some places, and questions whether the author has succeeded in presenting, except to those thoroughly conversant with the literature of the subject, a very clear outline of our present knowledge in this interesting field. J , M. NELSON C u ~ . u r a uU ~ w e n s r T v ~ e ~w o Cmv e ~
