84 THE GERM THEORY OF DISEASE. 



or that alcohol is a product of the remoleculization of sugar 

 by the vinous yeast plant, etc.) 



It is also sufficiently established that these soluble ferments 

 will act upon food material just as well when removed from 

 the cavities of the body as in them, provided a proper tem- 

 perature be maintained. This fact shows that soluble fer- 

 ments, while formed only by the life force, when once formed, 

 act without the life force. A soluble ferment is not itself 

 alive. 



FERMENTS. 



An example of digestion without a stomach, or the act 

 of digestion of food material suspended in a surrounding 

 medium, is found in vinous fermentation; which is accom- 

 plished by the torula, saccharomyces cerevisia, or yeast plant. 



The history of the plant is too well known to need descrip- 

 tion or affirmation, other than the points needed for illustration. 

 When pure vinous yeast is washed with distilled water, a 

 peculiar substance is found dissolved in the water. This is 

 yielded continuously during the life of the plant. Examina- 

 tion has proven this substance to be a soluble ferment, having 

 a peculiar effect upon sugar. This has been examined by M. 

 Berthelot, M. Becamp and others. It has been precipitated 

 and obtained in the form of a powder, somewhat similar to 

 Pepsin, and when redissolved, has been found to retain its 

 original action upon cane sugar. This action is to split up 

 the sugar into two substances, called Glucose and Lavelose, 

 the formulae of which we have given above. 



This reaction always takes place as the primary step in 

 alcoholic fermentation, and is the primary digestion which 

 permits of the appropriation of the food material by the yeast 

 plant. This is entirely analogous to the digestion of food in 

 the stomach of an animal, by which such food is received by 

 the blood to be conveyed to the tissues for their nutrition ; 



