120 NINETEEN I'll HEl'OKT. 



the use of another inducing agent on the same serum has given rise to 

 toxicity without an increase in amino nitrogen. Proteolysis proceeds not 

 by the resolution of a protein molecule into halves, quarters, eighths 

 and so on, but by the gradual lopping off of simpler constituents, amino 

 acids or amino complexes, until the molecule is totally disrupted and 

 this is especially true in the case of the action of ferments. Even if the 

 former were true m'c should have double, quadruple, eight times, etc., the 

 amount of amino nitrogen liberated. J3y the Van Slykes method, the 

 most accurate process in use, differences in hydrolysis in terms of a few 

 hundredths of milligrams nitrogen can be detected. We can state there- 

 fore that no proteolysis in any way accompanies the production of 

 anapliylotoxin in serum. 



Hygienic Laboratory, University of Michigan. 



