The Last Word 277 



oxidases, and these ferments are present in 

 yeasts and other organisms and also in all seeds, 

 for they produce changes which are necessary 

 for germination. Apparently Dr. Schulte con- 

 siders that all the oxidation takes place without 

 any catalytic agent or ferment, but this is highly 

 improbable, and his experiments certainly do 

 not prove it. The same as with tobacco and 

 tea, the fermentation is due to enzymes, 

 either naturally present or due to organisms, 

 and before one can test the changes occurring 

 without the presence of these, they must be 

 isolated from the rest of the constituents, and 

 this is practically impossible without altering 

 the cacao beyond all recognition. 



Last, but by no means least, we come to 

 Dr. Axel Preyer, whose work was carried on 

 during the closing years of last century, and, 

 as stated, published in Der Tropenpflanzer 

 of April, 1901. Now, on April 7, 1913, or 

 just twelve years later, Dr. Preyer writes from 

 Venice, where he holds the position of German 

 Consul, as follows : 



" It is with considerable pleasure that I accede 

 to the request of the Editor of Tropical Life, 

 Mr. H. Hamel^ Smith, to add a few words to 

 my old essay on ' Cacao Fermentation/ 

 Although, as I state in the concluding para- 

 graph of this essay, which was published in 

 Der Tropenpflanzer, No. 4, of April, 1901, I 

 have, in the above communication, given some 

 details regarding the causes of fermentation 



