t Resorption of albuminoid fluids 109 



For some time past attempts have been made to show that the 

 soluble ferments, diastases, or enzymes, are closely allied to albu- 

 minoid substances. Nencki and Mme Sieber^ support this view by 

 their recent researches on the chemical composition of pepsin. In all 

 the above cases there is this in common between the two categories of 

 substances, their absorption by the organism is followed by the appear- 

 ance in the blood of antagonistic ferments. Just as after the injection 

 of milk, white of ^^;g^ serums, etc. into the cavities or tissues, specific 

 precipitins are produced, so the injection of certain enzymes provokes 

 the formation in the organism of antienzymes or antidiastases. 



It has been known for some time that the blood serum of many 

 animals prevents the action of certain enzymes. Thus Roden has 

 shown that normal horse's serum retards or even completely prevents 

 the coagulation .of milk by rennet. It has often been observed, too, 

 that normal serums hinder, more or less, the digestion of albuminoids 

 by trypsin. It is only quite recently, however, that we have begun to 

 prepare antienzymes by the injection into animals of corresponding 

 enzymes. Thus, Hildebrand^ has succeeded in obtaining an anti- 

 emulsin in the serum of rabbits, into which he had injected several 

 separate doses of emulsin. Fermi and Pernossi^ have prepared an 

 antitrypsin, and von Dungern* has obtained an antidiastase against the 

 proteolytic enzymes of some bacteria. But of all the antienzymes, 

 the one that has been best studied up to the present is indisputably 

 antirennet, obtained independently by Morgenroth^ and Briot^. The 

 former of these investigators treated goats with increasing quantities [ii7] 

 of rennet and was able to assure himself, by comparative detailed 

 researches, of the appearance and increase in quantity of antirennet 

 in the blood serum. The goat which gave the best result ceasing to 

 develop antirennet it was impossible to make the antirennet potency 

 go beyond a certain point. 



Briot also obtained antirennet in rabbits into which he had in- 

 jected fluid rennet on several occasions. He was able to convince 

 himself that the antirennet of horse's serum is a non-dialysable 



1 Zeitschr.f.physiol Chem., Strassburg, 1901, Bd. xxxii, S. 291. 



2 Vir chow's Archiv, Berlin, 1893, Bd. cxxxi, S. 32. 



3 Zeitschr.f. Hyg., Leipzig, 1894, Bd. xviii, S. 83. 

 * Miinchen. med. Wchnschr., 1898, 15 August. 



5 Centralbl. f. Bakteriol u. Parasitenk., l^ Abt, Jena, 1899, Bd. xxvi, S. 349, 

 and 1900, Bd. xxvii, S. 721. 



6 "Etude sur la presure et I'antipresure." Sceaux, 1900. {These d. I. Faculte d. 

 Sc. de Paris, no. 4.) 



