VEGETABLE AND AMIMAL ALBUMEN. 541 



is, Shall commerce be permitted to run smoothly in its own natural 

 channels, or shall it be hampered and obstructed by the changeable 

 temper of uncertain and unintelligent legislation? * 



VEGETABLE AND ANIMAL ALBUMEN". 



Bt w. beenhaedt. 



HOWEVER numerous and prolific our investigations into the 

 composition and properties of organic bodies may have been, 

 ■\ve yet ai*e very imperfectly acquainted with those processes by which 

 these manifold forms of matter originate from simple constituents of 

 air and water, and are as yet unaware of the causes on which the 

 changes are depending that they undergo during life. "We are ac- 

 quainted with the artificial preparation of many of them, and still our 

 experience is not sufficient to explain their natural origin. 



We may produce oxalic acid, a body contained in the juice of many 

 plants and also in certain animal secretions, by heating sugar together 

 with nitric acid, but this is not the natural process of its formation, 

 nor does it explain it. We imitate Nature in preparing grape-sugar 

 from starch, but our method is different from hers, although the sugar 

 we make by treating starch with hot dilute acids is identical Avith the 

 product of the natural act of fermentation (caused in germinating grain 

 by diastase, a product of decomposition of albuminous matter). It was 

 considered a success of the highest scientific consequence, when Wohler 

 found out a way of artificially prej^aring urea, a matter resulting from 



* Since this paper was written there has been another practical and important dem- 

 onstration of the disastrous results of the long-and-short-haul legislation. The Canadian 

 Pacific Railway, being free from any legislative shackles, is rapidly absorbing the traffic 

 which otherwise would naturally seek the Pacific roads of the United States. A large 

 diversion of the through transportation business from China and Japan has already taken 

 place as a direct result of this remarkable policy of aiding our foreign rivals at our own 

 expense. The handicapped condition of the American roads has been still further in- 

 tensified in consequence of a recent renewal by our National Administration of a former 

 concession, contained in the treaty of Washington, with her Britannic JIajesty, which 

 allows the transportation in bond of American merchandise from one port or place in the 

 United States to another by a route, a part of which is by land-carriage, thi'ough the 

 Dominion of Canada. By this means very large amounts of merchandise are now shipped 

 from San Francisco and other American Pacific ports by steamers to the western terminus 

 of the Canadian Pacific Railway, and thence brought over that line and distributed by 

 American connecting lines to various commercial centers in the United States. Instead 

 of fostering and building up the commerce of our own country, the Congress first takes 

 away the freedom of competition from our carriers, and then our National Administration, 

 while our legislative branch is not in session, restores to our rivals those special privi- 

 leges which the Congress had abrogated in connection with the fisheries controversy. If 

 such a peculiar joint policy by the legislative and Executive departments of our Govern- 

 ment is long continued, and our Pacific roads can survive its effects, it will prove that 

 they are possessed of great vitality. 



