Dr. Axel Preyer 17 



each other, aiid round the germ ; they are of 

 soft nature, white, yellow, or violet in colour, 

 and possess a strongly bitter taste. The cotyle- 

 dons come from the parenchymatous tissues. 

 In the cells are deposited reserve substances 

 in the shape of thickly compressed globules, 

 such as fat, starch, and albumen. 1 



If several samples are taken from a heap 

 of cacao beans on the second day after fer- 

 mentation has been started, and the outer 

 pulpish substance be examined under a strong 

 microscope, countless organisms of various 

 natures show themselves in and about the 

 pulp cells. In Ceylon were found yeasts of 

 ellipsoidal or rounded spindle-shaped form, 

 besides bacilli, which occurred singly or in 

 pairs, and spores of various sizes on the 

 cacao beans lying on the surface, also moulds 

 (Penicillium among others). On the other 

 hand, in Java several other kinds of wild 

 yeasts were noticed, including pointed, spindle- 

 shaped and cylindrical forms ; also spores, 

 bacilli, and spirals. 



The question then arose whether the changes 

 were produced during the fermentation by en- 

 zymes, generated by the living plasma of the 

 cacao seeds, or the assimilation of the existing 



^y 



bacteria, or by the vitality of the yeast cells. 

 The production of enzymes, in the living cacao 

 seeds or beans can take place by the germs ; 



1 See illustrations in Dr. Nicholl's Essay. H. H. S. 

 2 



