40 THE ALBUMINS. 



The theory is ingenious, but open to many objections, upon which 

 it is not necessary, however, to enter at this place. 



Latham regards the living albumins as consisting of a chain of 

 cyanic alcohols which are united to a benzol radicle. Such alcohols 

 an- formed through union of an aldehyde with hydrocyanic acid, 

 and we thus see that his idea of the composition of the albumins is 

 essentially the same as that originally suggested by Gautier. The 

 formation of the various decomposition-products of the albumins 

 Latham explains on the basis of the extreme instability of these 

 compound alcohols. 



Kossel, on the other hand, divides the albumins into four classes, 

 and assumes that in each a protamin radicle is the essential nucleus. 

 Those bodies in which this is present by itself he assigns to the first 

 group, and it is accordingly represented by the protamins them- 

 selves. The second group is formed by albumins in which the 

 primary protamin nucleus is variously combined with mono-amido- 

 acids of the aliphatic series, viz., with leucin, amido-valerianic acid, 

 asparaginic acid, glutaminic acid, and glycocoll. Most of these 

 contain in addition sulphur in more or less intimate combination, 

 and in some iodine and other elements also may be found. Other 

 albumins contain an aromatic radicle in addition to the pro- 

 tamin group and the acid radicles of the fatty series, and, ac- 

 cordingto the absence or presence of a sulphur group, he fur- 

 ther divides these into two classes, his third and fourth group, 

 respectively. Through a union of any two or more of these 

 groups with each other, or with new prosthetic groups, still more 

 complicated albumins result, such as the histons and the common 

 proteids. 



Classification of the Albumins. The various albumins may 

 be divided into four classes, viz., the albumins proper, the pro- 

 teids, the albuminoids, and what may be termed the derived 

 albumins. They are further subdivided, as is shown in the follow- 

 ing table : 



C Serum-albumin. 



I Effg-albumin. 

 I Albumins . . . . < 



Vegetable albumin. 



Fibrinogen. 



mi Serum-globulin. 



1 he native albumins J. r ,, , ,. ,,., . te i , ,. 



Globulins .... I ibnnoglobnlin. 



Vegetable globulins. 

 Myosin. 



Vitellins 



( Phytovitellin. 

 | (Yvstallins. 



