THE CHEMICAL UNITY OF LIVING BEINGS. 185 



satisfied atoinicities. These atomicities, set free by 

 the breaking up, cannot remain in this condition ; 

 they must be satisfied anew. The hook tries to attach 

 itself. In Schutzenberger's experiment the addition, 

 of water provides for this necessity. A molecule of 

 water (H,0) splits into two, the hydrogen (H) on the 

 one side and the hydroxyl (OH) on the other. These 

 two elements cling to the liberated bonds of the 

 fragments of the molecule of albumin, and thus 

 the bodies were found complete. Schutzenberger's 

 experiment was too violent, too radical, and it gave 

 too large a number of fragments, with their free hooks 

 and atomicities unsatisfied, for rather a large pro- 

 portion of the water added disappeared during the 

 experiment. In one case this quantity was as much 

 as 17 grammes per 100 grammes of albumin. The 

 molecules of this water were employed in the 

 reparation of the incomplete fragmentary molecules 

 of the albumin. 



It follows that Schutzenberger's experiment gave 

 too large a number of very small pieces corresponding 

 to far too great a pulverization. The very small frag- 

 ments are the molecules of acids such as acetic acid, 

 oxalic acid, carbonic acid, molecules of ammonia, 

 and even of hydrogen, which we know we are setting 

 free. 



But, apart from these products which represent a 

 quarter of the molecule of albumin submitted to 

 analysis, the other three quarters represent larger 

 fragments which may be considered as the real 

 constituents of the building. Thus we find four 

 kinds of groups which may be accepted as natural. 

 The first of these groups is that of the leucins or 

 amido-acids. It proves the existence in the molecule 



