January 22, 1897.] 



SCIENCE. 



135 



elin, the fei-ment of pineapple juice, like 

 trypsin, is unquestionably a typical peptone- 

 forming enzyme. Quite recently, however, 

 a number of investigators have stated that 

 papain is unable to form peptone, i. e., that 

 its digestive action is limited to the forma- 

 tion of proteoses. The present experiments 

 made mainly by Mr. McDermott, on the 

 other hand, clearly show that papain is 

 able to form true peptone quite readily from 

 coagulated egg albumin, from blood fibrin 

 and from the coagulated proteids of muscu- 

 lar tissue. This peptone-forming power is 

 manifested in a few hours at 40° C, and in 

 the presence of one per cent, sodium 

 fluoride, thymol or chloroform water. 



Experiments on the physlolofjioal influence of al- 

 cohol. C. F. Hodge. 

 The experiments reported have been con- 

 ducted during the past three years for the 

 Committee of Fifty, the purpose being to 

 collect impartial data in the general physi- 

 ology of the subject. Attention has been 

 directed chiefly along three lines, namely, 

 the influence of alcohol : 1st, upon growth, 

 including reproduction ; 2d, upon psychic 

 development; 3d, upon animal activity and 

 ability. 



Experiments, already reported, upon the 

 growth of yeast proved that in fresh cul- 

 tures an addition of xuVt of one per cent, 

 of pure alcohol retarded growth materially 

 proportionatelj' much more than larger 

 amounts. 



Experiments upon kittens and puppies 

 were made as follows: Two pairs of kittens 

 as much alike as possible, the males from 

 one litter, the females from another, were 

 selected. Alcohol in moderate doses was 

 given to one pair, the other pair being kept 

 on normal diet for comparison. At the end 

 of ten days' administration of alcohol the 

 alcoholic pair had contracted severe colds, 

 and alcohol was discontinued until recov- 

 ery should take place. This, however, did 



not occur, so that the administration of 

 alcohol was permanently discontinued. 

 Curves of weight showed that the alcoholic 

 pair had been dwarfed, the male and female 

 attaining only 39 % and 63 % respectively 

 of the weight of their controls. From later 

 developments in the course of the experi-, 

 ment, it is probable that this stunting efiect 

 is to be ascribed chiefly to the disease rather 

 than to the alcohol. The alcoholic kittens 

 became very quiet, various psychic charac- 

 teristics, notably playfulness, purring, fear 

 of dogs and game instincts, dropping out 

 with great abruptness. Disease becoming 

 thus intercurrent, however, renders any 

 definite interpretation of the experiment 

 impossible. 



Similarly two pairs of cocker spaniel 

 puppies were carefully selected, the males 

 brothers, the females sisters. Great care 

 was taken to avoid pathological complica- 

 tions and to keep the experiment as strictly 

 as possible on physiological lines. Accord- 

 ingly noa-intoxicant doses wei-e used and 

 were increased as the puppies grew. These 

 now amount to 35 and 38 cc. of absolute al- 

 cohol for the female and male respectively; 

 that is, about 4 cc. per kilo of bodj^ weight 

 has been given daily since the pvippies were 

 nine weeks old. Growth has been practi- 

 cally normal, the alcoholic pair even grow- 

 ing a little faster than their controls at first. 

 Possibly four dogs could hardlj' be found to 

 grow more uniformly under normal treat- 

 ment. Each normal animal is, however, 

 about 5 % heavier than its alcoholic brother 

 or sister. On the side of the reproductive 

 functions, too, the puppies of the alcoholic 

 pair are not inferior to those of the normals. 



The chief difference is on the psychic side. 

 Both the alcoholic animals are much quieter 

 than their controls and both are abnormally 

 timid. As tested by the pedometer method 

 the alcoholic male was found to develop 7 1 % 

 of the daily activity of his brother, the fe- 

 male only 57 % of her sister. Much severer 



