2l6 PHARMACEUTICAL BACTERIOLOGY 



trunk position and being tree-like in every respect, excepting that it is 

 devoid of a root system. In some examples of this kind, the lower 

 branches assume the root position, that is they extend downward and 

 the secondary branches assume the more irregular positions of root 

 branches, as compared with normal secondary branches of the tree. 



It may, however, be that many of these growth phenomena are not 

 directed and controlled by enzymes but by other substances, for example, 

 the hormones. Hormones are distinguished from enzymes by not being 

 destroyed by heat, up to the boiling point; they are dialyzable and in a 

 general way manifest the characters of chemicals. They occur in the duct- 

 less glands, in the ovaries, testes and in other organs. It is known that 

 the removal of the organs named causes very serious disturbances in the 

 bodily functions. The adrenal and pituitary glands are apparently 

 absolutely essential to life as their removal in animals results in death. 

 The removal of the pancreas results in diabetes and the removal of the 

 ovaries and testes produces a very marked change in general metabolism 

 as well as in the mental, muscular and nervous systems, with arrest 

 in sexual development. Some of the bodily secretions containing these 

 hormones 1 are now being used in the treatment of certain pathological 

 conditions, with very gratifying results. It must however, be admitted 

 that our knowledge of the exact composition and function of hormones is 

 as yet not well understood, nor do we know their true relationship to the 

 enzymes. 



A ferment or enzyme may be defined as a peculiar energizing substance, 

 formed by living cells with which it is more or less intimately combined or 

 associated but without being vitally influenced in its activities by the 

 vital processes of the cells producing it. This energizing substance or 

 ferment has the power of converting the latent (potential) energies of 

 chemical compounds into kinetic energies, as warmth and light. The new 

 compound or compounds formed always have a lower kinetic energy 

 or oxidizing power than the original substance. The ferment itself 

 remains unchanged during the process. Ferments are specific in their 

 action, that is, each ferment acts upon certain substances only and its 

 activities give rise to constant decomposition products. 



Certain ferments (hydrolytic) have the power of taking up moisture 

 and again giving it up to the substance undergoing fermentation, the 

 presence of moisture being necessary to the process. But why the fer- 



1 Among the more important remedial agents of this group are extracts of the para- 

 thyroids, the testes, the pituitary bodies, the thymus, the ovaries, the mammary glands, 

 the adrenals and the pineal gland, all of which are now marketed and used with con- 

 siderable success in more or less specific ailments. These will be considered in another 

 chapter. 



