THE CLEAVAGE OF PROTEINS WITH ALKALI 101 



normal sodium hydrate, and the percentage of nitrogen 

 calculated. The relative toxicity of the split products was 

 determined. In every case ammonia was still being pro- 

 duced when the process was interrupted. Again, a 10-gram 

 sample of the poison from egg ablumen was boiled for 

 fifty-four and one-half hours with 2 per cent, alcoholic 

 alkali to ascertain if ammonia could be split from the 

 poison itself. The results of this work are shown in the 

 following table: 



AMMONIA PRODUCED BY CLEAVAGE OF PKOTEIN WITH DILUTE ALKALI IN 

 ABSOLUTE ALCOHOL. 

 Per cent, of 

 Time in Atmos- N given Rate per 



Sample. hours. 



Witte peptone 3.0 

 Witte peptone 2,5 



Witte peptone 

 Witte peptone 

 Poison 



8.5 

 19.5 

 54.5 



phere. 

 air 

 H 



H 

 H 

 II 



The albumin poison as ordinarily obtained contains 

 13.74 per cent, of nitrogen. By the fifty-four and one-half 

 hours' heating with alcoholic alkali, 10.77 per cent, of its 

 nitrogen was converted into ammonia. After this treatment 

 the poison still gave a good Millon test, but no longer the 

 biuret. 



It is probable that by continued heating in the same 

 manner quite all of the nitrogen could be separated, though 

 it is noticeable that the rate was greatly diminished as the 

 time lengthened. The decrease in toxicity with the evolu- 

 tion of ammonia suggests that this group is essential to the 

 toxicity of the poison. This seems to be highly probable. 



Properties of the Crude Soluble Poison. The poison split 

 off from the protein molecule by the method above given 

 is designated as "the crude soluble poison;" "crude" 

 because it is undoubtedly a mixture of chemical bodies, 

 and "soluble" in contradistinction to the bacterial cellular 

 substance, from which it was first prepared, and which is 

 poisonous, but not soluble. 



