THE PROTEIN SUBSTANCES. 17 



by means of acids or alkalies, and also by certain enzymes, among 

 other products amido-acids are produced, and these have a certain 

 significance for the probable formation of the albumins. It is 

 more than likely that in the synthesis of albumin in the plant 

 from the ammonia or the nitric acid of the soil, amido-acids or acid 

 amids, among which asparagin plays an important role, are pro- 

 duced; and from these the albuminous bodies are derived by the 

 influence of glucose or other non-nitrogenized combinations. 



By the oxidation of albumins in acid solutions, volatile fatty acids, their alde- 

 hydes, nitriles, ketones, also benzoic acid are obtained, also hydrocyanic acid 

 by oxidizing with potassium dichromate and acid. Nitric acid gives various 

 nitro-products, such as xanthoproteic acid (VAN DEE PANTS), trinitroalbumin 

 (LoEW) or oxynitroalbuinin, nitrobenzoic acid, and others. With aqua regia 

 fumaric acid, oxalic acid, chlorazol, and other bodies are produced. By the 

 action of bromine under stronger pressure a large number of derivatives are 

 obtained, such as bromanil and tribromacetic acid, bromoform, leucin, leu- 

 cinimid, oxalic acid, tribromamido-benzoic acid, peptone, and bodies similar 

 to humus. 



By the dry distillation of albumins we obtain a large number of decompo- 

 sition products of a disagreeable burnt odor, and a porous glistening mass of 

 carbon containing nitrogen is left as a residue. The products of distillation 

 are partly an alkaline liquid which contains ammonium carbonate and acetate, 

 ammonium sulphide, ammonium cyanide, an inflammable oil and other bodies, 

 and a brown oil which contains hydrocarbons, nitrogenized bases belonging 

 to the aniline and pyridine series, and a number of unknown substances. 



It is impossible here to discuss all the products obtained by the 

 action of different reagents on the albumins, but from the above- 

 described bodies from the decomposition of albumin it is clear that 

 the products belong in part to the fatty and in part to the aro- 

 matic series. Even though the constitution of the albumins has 

 as yet not been successfully demonstrated, it seems to be a fact from 

 the above that in the albumin molecule we have, besides the atomic 

 arrangement belonging to the fatty series, at least one aromatic 

 group present. 



By the oxidation of albumin by means of potassium permanganate, MALY 

 obtained an acid, the oxyprotosulphonic acid, C 51.21; H 6.89; N 14.59; S 

 1.77; 25.54, which is not a product of splitting, but an oxidation product in 

 which the- group SH is changed into SO 2 .OH. This acid does not give the 

 proper color reaction with MILLON'S reagent (see below), nor does it yield the 

 ordinary aromatic splitting products of the albumins. Still the aromatic 

 group is not absent, but it seems to be in another binding from that in ordi- 

 nary albumin. On oxidizing with potassium dichromate and acid this group 

 appears as benzoic acid, and on fusing with alkali, benzol is given off. 



The animal albuminous bodies are odorless and tasteless, ordi- 

 narily amorphous. The crystalloid (DOTTERPLATTCHEN) occurring 



