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CHAPTER VIII. 



THE LAST WORD. 



By the Editor. 



As several years on an average have elapsed 

 since the preceding essays were written, and 

 at least twelve or thirteen years since Dr. 

 Axel Preyer recorded on paper the results 

 of his investigations, I was most anxious to 

 hear what each of the authorities had to say 

 at the present time on the progress made 

 along the lines advocated by them. This was 

 especially the case with Dr. Fickencley, as I 

 had noticed that his name had been mentioned 

 in the Bulletin of the Imperial Institute in 

 a lengthy description 'of a process carried out 

 under his directions, whereby the fermentation 

 of the beans had been dispensed with, other 

 means having been taken to kill the embryo 

 without destroying the oxidizing enzymes. On 

 this point Dr. Fickendey was good enough, at 

 the end of March, 1913, to write as follows : 



With the fermentation of cacao there are 

 two processes that should be kept strictly 

 separate ; on the one hand, the fermentation 

 of the pulp, i.e. } the saccharine and the mucila- 



