193 



IV. — Discifssion of the results. 



The experiments hitherto described show that the dry residue 

 obtained'from the filtrate cf the main research is much greater 

 than that obtained froin the filtrate of the control resea)'ch. The- 

 refore, it is evident that, during incubation the quantity of solu- 

 ble and incoagulable substances is increased in the main research. 

 The presence of bacteria being excluded it results that, the in- 

 crease of soluble substances in the main research is due to the 

 autolytic ferments. In the control research, where the ferments 

 had been previously destroyed by boiling, the soluble substances 

 are in a smaller quantity. Considering the complex chemical con- 

 stitution of the brain it results from the analysis made in the 

 experiments described that several species of ferments co-operate 

 together to solubilise the solid body of the brain during auto- 

 lysis. 



Indeed, an increase of soluble nitrogen is seen, which may 

 be derived either from the proteids or from substances of ano- 

 ther nature, such as phosphatides, etc. 



The phosphorus increase may be due to the disintegration 

 of the phosphatides. Phosphoric acid may be set free from the 

 nucleo-proteid of the brain. 



The presence of free purin-bases in the autolyzed liquid 

 can be due only to the disintegration of the nucleic acid itself 

 derived from the nucleo-proteid. 



Reducing substances were constantly observed in the auto- 

 lyzed liquid. 



Ali these disintegrations may be caused by the ferments. 



In table I are summed up the data, obtained in each expe- 

 riment , regading the quantity of dry residue , organic matters 

 and asli, both ih main research and in control research as \vell 

 as tlieir increase due to the action of the ferments. 



