— 196 - 



of the total solids, 4.3 per cent of the total organic matters and 

 4.5 per cent of the total asli of the brain are due to the aiito- 

 lytic ferments. 



We have seen that 1 Kg. of fresh brain contains, in average, 

 193.5 grams of solids. From this quantity 23.6 grams are soluble 

 products, as may be seen in table I (control-research), and 169.5 

 grams represent the quantity of insoluble solids corresponding 

 to 1 Kg. of fresh brain. In 96 hours of autolysis of 1 Kg. of 

 brain the ferments can solubilise 8.34 grams of insoluble solids 

 (table I). 



It results therefore that the ferments are capable 

 to solubilise 4.96 per cent of the insoluble body 

 of the brain during the 96 hours of incubation 

 at 3 7° (see table Vili, pag. 204). 



With regard to the chemical constitution of this excess of 

 soluble solids in the main research , the present researches are 

 limited to the estimation of the total nitrogen, total phosphorus 

 and purine nitrogen. The results obtained will be summed up 

 later on. 



P r o t e 1 y t i e ferments. 



The increase of the nitrogeneous extractives content in the 

 main research, observed after 96 hours autolysis of the brain at 

 37° is, doubtless, due in part to the disintegration of the pro- 

 teids contained therein. The presence of free purin-bases, in the 

 autolyzed liquid is a proof of the disintegration of the nucleo- 

 proteid. 



In table 111 are summed up the data obtained regarding the 

 soluble and incoagulable nitrogen content botli in main and in 

 control research. 



The incoagulable nitrogen content in the filtrate of the 

 main research is 0.259 per cent and that of the control research 

 is only 0.175 per cent ; The excess of 0.085 per cent nitrogen, 

 in the main research, is due to the action of the ferments. 



