of Diastase of Malt, as modified by various conditions. 49 - 
Langley and Eves* have confirmed this statement, although they do 
not believe in the theory of a direct stimulation of the ferment, 
advanced by one of us. We find now that neutral peptone added to 
a neutral solution of malt diastase, similarly increases its amylolytic 
action ; the increase being even greater than noticed.in the case of 
neutral saliva. Two series of experiments were tried with the fol- 
lowing results; the peptone used being made perfectly neutral with 
a dilute solution of sodium carbonate. 
a. with 15 ¢.c. of the standard malt extract. 
Total amount 
Peptone. Wt. Cu in 4. reducing bodies. Starch converted. 
0 0°1140 gram. 0°2320 gram. 20°88 per cent. 
0°1 per cent. 071545 0°3154. 28°38 
0:2 0°1512 0°3084 PAB) 
0:3 0-1494. 0°3048 27°43 
0°5 Q°1457 0:2970 26°73 
10 071427 0°2910 26°19 
6. with 30 ¢. c. of the standard malt extract. ; 
0 0-1785 gram. 0°3654 gram. 32°88 per cent. 
0-1 per cent. 071847 O-3772 33°94 
03 0-1912 0°3916 35°24 
Peptone causes increased amylolytic action throughout; with 15 
ce. c. of malt extract, the smallest amount of peptone gives the 
greatest acceleration, which slowly diminishes as the percentage of 
peptone is increased; with 30 c¢. c. of malt extract, however, accel- 
eration, which is much less than in the preceding series, increases 
with the increase in peptone. It is hard to find any reason for this 
acceleration in amylolytic action, other than a direct stimulation of 
the ferment. 
Influence of sodium carbonate on the amylolytic action of diastase 
in the presence of proteid matter. 
Proteid matter tends to prevent the retarding action of sodium 
carbonate on this ferment, as in the case of the salivary ferment. 
Thus, the addition of neutral peptone to a malt extract allows vigor- 
ous amylolytic action to take place in the presence of percentages of 
sodium carbonate, which alone would completely destroy the ferment. 
The following experiments, using 15 c. c. of the standard malt extract 
in each instance, illustrate the influence of peptone on the action of 
sodium carbonate. 
* Journal of Physiology, vol. iv, No. 1. 
TRANS. Conn. AcaD., Vou. VII. 7 Oct., 1885, 
