GERMINATION. 321 



to the filtered liquid its own bulk of alcohol, dextrin be- 

 comes evident, being precipitated as a white powder. 



Furthermore, if we mix 2 3 parts of starch with one 

 of malt, we find that the whole undergoes the same change. 

 An additional quantity of starch remains unaltered. 



The process of germination thus develo'pes in the seed 

 an agency by which the conversion of starch into soluble 

 carbohydrates is accomplished with great rapidity. 



Diastase* Pay en & Persoz attribute this action to a 

 nitrogenous substance which they term Diastase, 'and 

 which is found in the germinating seed in the vicinity of 

 the embryo, but not in the radicles. They assert that one 

 part of diastase is capable of transforming 2,000 parts of 

 starch, first into dextrin and finally into sugar, and that 

 malt yields jluih of its weight of this substance. 



A short time previous to the investigations of Payen & 

 Persoz (1833,) Saussure found that Mucidin* the soluble 

 nitrogenous body which may be extracted from gluten 

 (p. 101,) transforms starch in the manner above described, 

 and it is now known that any albuminoid may produce 

 the same effect, although the rapidity of the action and 

 the amount of effect are usually far less than that exhibit- 

 ed by the so-called diastase. 



In order, however, that the albuminoids may transform 

 starch as above described, it is doubtless necessary that 

 they themselves enter into a state of alteration ; they are 

 in part decomposed and disappear in the process. 



These bodies thus altered become ferments. 



It must not be forgotten, however, that in all cases in 

 which the conversion of starch into dextrin and sugar is 

 accomplished artificially, an elevated temperature is re- 

 quired, whereas in the natural process, as shown in the 



* Saussure designated this body mucin, but this term being established as the 

 name of the characteristic ingredient of animal mucus, Ritthausen has replaced 

 it by mucidin. 



H* 



