172 



PAPA1N-PROTEOL YSIS. 



This, however, was not easily accomplished owing to the pres- 

 ence of so much zinc sulphate ; but on diluting the fluid with 

 water we were able to determine the nitrogen in a small vol- 

 ume of the mixture, using the Kjeldahl method, and on mul- 

 tiplying the nitrogen found by the factor 6.25 we obtained 

 values not greatly at variance with those given by difference. 

 It is needless to say that the control mixture was treated in a 

 similar manner and corrections made for nitrogen introduced 

 with the papain, etc. Following are the results obtained ex- 

 pressed in grams : 



Expressed in percentages, calculated on the dry proteid used, 

 these figures lead to the following results : 



Here we have plain evidence again of the ability of papain 

 under suitable conditions to form relatively large quantities of 

 peptone, the latter, in this experiment, being greatly in excess 

 over all the other products combined. It is furthermore evi- 

 dent that in order to bring out the full proteolytic power of 

 the enzyme (assuming an active preparation) it is necessary 

 that the latter be present in fairly large proportion, i. e., as 

 compared with the proteid matter. When this is the case, as 



