APP. i.] NEUMEISTER'S RESEARCHES ON THE ALBUMOSES. 487 



obtain ampho-peptones, but, according to Neumeister, >roo-albumose 

 yields an ampho-peptone in which the hemi-groups are chiefly repre- 

 sented, whilst Aetero-albumose yields an ampho-peptone in which the 

 owifo'-groups preponderate. 



We must now approach the explanation of facts which are 

 indicated in the right-hand column of Neumeister's schema. It has 

 already been pointed out that under the action of certain agents, 

 as for example when the albuminous bodies are subjected to long- 

 continued boiling with acids 1 , there is formed a body which Schiitzen- 

 berger called ' hemi-protein ' and Ktihne ' anti-albumid ' : Kiihne, as 

 has been stated, shewed that when subjected to long-continued 

 digestion with trypsin, anti-albumid yielded, as a product of decom- 

 position, a peptone (anti-peptone), but no trace of amido-acids. These 

 facts are lucidly explained by Neumeister's scheme. We have to 

 assume that under certain conditions (typically under the influence 

 of acids) there are split off from the original albuminous molecule, 

 groups of cmfo'-molecules which constitute anti-albumid. The latter 

 body, then, by the continued action of hydrolytic agents, as of 

 trypsin, yields a deutero-albumose which is not, however, like those 

 we have been considering, an arap/io-albumose, for it contains no 

 hemi-groups, and when finally digested will yield an anti-peptone, 

 not an ampho-peptone, i.e. a peptone which when digested with trypsin 

 will not furnish those products of decomposition (amido-acids) which 

 are characteristically the products of the splitting-up of the bodies 

 which contain /^mi-molecules. We thus see that according to 

 Neumeister's scheme, whilst we have one proto-albumose and one 

 hetero-albumose, we may have three deutero-albumoses, differing in 

 their constitution, as made out by a study of their products of 

 decomposition. 



It will be observed that Neumeister's scheme admits of a great 

 many possibilities. We may conceive, for instance, of an almost end- 

 less variation in the constitution of both the primary and secondary 

 albumoses, according to the method in which the decomposition of the 

 albuminous molecule has been effected, as, for example, according to 

 the extent to which the anti-groups of molecules have been split 

 off to form anti-albumid. 



1 See the account of Schiitzenberger's researches at p. 116, and Kiihne's scheme 

 of proteid decomposition by acids, p. 121. 



