84 THE CHEMICAL CONSTITUTION OF THE PROTEINS 



Even the elementary analyses of the substances differed according 

 to Gupta [1909] : 



The analysis of plastein also does not answer the much discussed 

 question whether it represents a synthetical .product or a further pro- 

 duct of digestion. The figures so nearly resemble those for Witte's 

 peptone that one would be inclined to the view that plastein is still a 

 mixture, which is precipitated under the conditions of the experiment. 



In general, the analyses of the proteoses show that they contain all 

 the amino acids originally present in the protein ; if a splitting of the 

 large molecule had occurred in such a way that four or five amino 

 acids only were present in each product, the synthetical problem would 

 be easier ; we have still no substantial clue as to the order in which 

 the units are combined in the molecule (see Part III.). 



Dennstedt and Hassler [1906] believe that in the formation of 

 proteoses the process of oxidation occurs at the same time as 

 hydrolysis. 



