40 



they conclude that peroxydase and catalase can exist in the same 

 plants without interfering with the functions of either. They 

 also prove that catalase and reductase are not identical. 



Kunz-Krause 59 and Dr. Richard Fibras 60 believe that one of 

 the causes of the deposit in tinctures is due to the action of en- 

 zymes. 



Bourquelot 81 studied the ferments which cause hydrolisis 

 of the various polysaccharides, and finds that two and in some 

 cases three ferments are required to completely hydrolise poly- 

 saccharides. In another paper, with Herissey 62 he deals with the 

 ferment of milk, almonds, peach and cherry laurel leaves and finds 

 that emulsine as obtained from almonds, is a mixture of several 

 ferments, emulsin, lactase and probably gentiobias, and frequently 

 invertin. He concludes: 



1. That lactase accompanies emulsin in the different al- 

 monds of rosaceae. 



2. That emulsin exists without laccase, as in Perquillus 

 niger leaves. 



3. That lactase exists without emulsin, as in the yeast of 

 kaphis. 



Chodat and Bach 63 review the researches of soluble ferments 

 (oxydase) and give the following theory: The oxidizing fer- 

 ments called oxydase, are bodies of a peroxide character, there- 

 fore they are organic peroxides which heat decomposes. Their 

 action is accelerated by a second class of bodies which act as 

 catalytics, and have the power to bring back the peroxides to 

 their normal condition. They state that there is present in the 

 living cell a diastase (peroxydase) which acts on hydrogen per- 

 oxide similar to ferrous sulphate, and with hydrogen peroxide 

 produces a blue color with guaiac. 



Chodat and Bach give the following characteristics for per- 

 oxydase : M 



If free from other enzymes, it does not liberate oxygen from 



59 Pharm. Centralhalle, 1902, No. 52. 



90 Pharm. Post, 35, 1902, p. 548. 



81 Jour. d. Chim. et d. Pharm., 1903. 



Also Compt. rend. 136, p. 762, 1903. 

 62 Jour. d. Chim. et d. Pharm., 1903. 



Also Compt. rend. Soc. Biol. 55, p. 219, 1903. 

 " Ber. d. Chem. 35, P- 1275, 1902. 

 * Ber. d. Chem. 37, p. 1342, 1904- 



