72 PRIMITIVE FORMS OF LIFE 



resulting from the union of oxygen with carbon (COOH), and 

 a basic agent resulting from the union of hydrogen with 

 nitrogen NH 2 . These two agents are united in a single molecule 

 without, however, being neutralized in their respective 

 functions. From this it follows that the acid agent of the 

 molecule continues to " attract the basic substances that are 

 within its range, and the basic agent to attract the acid 

 substances ". 1 When the basic substances are derived from 

 another amino acid a new body is produced by the elimination 

 of a molecule of water so constituted as to regenerate, at the 

 expense of substances annexed, the acid function of the 

 primitive body. The same holds true for the basic function 

 when it is this which co-operates in the elimination of a molecule 

 of water. As the result of this double interplay, compounds of 

 any degree of complication whatsoever can be obtained, and 

 thus we may entertain some hope of being able to construct 

 the enormous, unstable molecules with reciprocal reactions 

 which give rise to the chemical phenomenon of life. The school 

 of Fischer has already obtained substances analogous to the 

 peptones into which the albuminoid food substances are first 

 resolved in the course of digestion. With the aid of these 

 peptides we ought to be able to reconstruct the substances from 

 which the peptones come, and obtain the peptides them- 

 selves by methods more akin to those employed by living 

 beings. This is what a number of chemists have attempted : 

 Balbiano, Trasciatti in Italy, and Maillard in France. By means 

 of a suitably induced reaction from pure glycerine and amino 

 acids, Maillard has succeeded in obtaining bodies with a strong 

 resemblance to peptones, to caseine, and to keratin substances 

 which are the albuminoid substances par excellence. It is 

 probable that by substituting sugars and alcohols for glycerine 

 we might obtain other results equally as important. It is 

 true that a temperature of 170 to 180 would be required 

 to accelerate the reactions, but these can be obtained at lower 

 temperatures if other accelerators are employed. The diastases, 

 which are simply albuminoids of a nature still inadequately 

 determined, and which are known to act especially by hydration 

 and dehydration, appear to be capable of doing this work. If, 

 therefore, it is true that all these substances might have arisen 



1 L. C. Maillard, " Recherche du mecanisme naturel des formations 

 albuminoi'des ", Presse medicate, 17. Fev. 1912. 



