PAET II. 



VEGETABLE PEOTEINS. 



Thanks to the researches of Osborne, a num- 

 ber of vegetable proteins may be obtained in a 

 pure state and in quantity. The work done in 

 my laboratory was upon some of the seed pro- 

 teins, especially zein from cornmeal and ede- 

 stin from hemp seed, which were prepared by 

 Leach according to the methods of Osborne. 

 From these proteins we split off the protein 

 poison by the same process employed in the 

 cleavage of the bacterial proteins. The poisons 

 obtained from zein and edestin showed no dif- 

 ference either in response to chemical tests or 

 in physiological action from those obtained 

 from the cellular substance of bacteria. My 

 present purpose in bringing out these facts lies 

 in the evidence which they bear in support of 

 my contention that the protein poison is a 

 group in the protein molecule and that it is 

 present in all true proteins. So long as my 

 studies were confined to the highly complex bac- 

 terial proteins, I was not sure of the correctness 

 of this idea. With edestin we are supposed to 



