JOG H. H. Maim— The Enzijmes of the Tea Leaf. [No. 2, 



This increase of enzyme in the leaf seems connected in some way with 

 the amount of phosphates in the soil. 



(5) That the amount of enzyme in the leaf materially increases 

 during withering, a fact which throws an entirely new light on the 

 nature of the process, and makes it probable that it performs much more 

 important functions in the manufacture than those with which it has 

 been hitherto credited. 



Other enzymes occur in the tea leaf, but I have no evidence at pre- 

 sent that their part in the manufacture of tea is of great importance. 

 Starch occurs in very minute proportion, and as would be expected, a 

 small quantity of diastase with it. This starch persists throughout the 

 withering operation but entirely disappears during the fermentation. 

 The diastase can however be detected right through until the tea is fixed, 

 but only in very small amount. The tests I made as to the existence 

 of a proteolytic enzyme leave the matter in some doubt, but I certainly 

 could get no reaction by Fermi and Buscaglioni's method with gelatine. 



The Catalase of Oscar Loew * was, of course, present in rather 

 large quantity, but I can attribute no important function in the manu- 

 facture of tea to its presence. Considering the tendency existing to 

 form Hydrogen Peroxide in organic liquids exposed to sunlight, it seems 

 natural to consider that it is here present to prevent the formation of 

 this substance, which could only be a source of injury during the growth 

 of the tea to the plant. Its presence almost exclusively immediately 

 under the cuticle cells would materially support this hypothesis. 



In conclusion, I have to thank two or three gentlemen whose assis- 

 tance has been of material advantage to me in this work: These are Mr. 

 Hooper of the Indian Museum, Calcutta, for making several analyses of 

 materials for me, and to Mr. 0. R. Newton of Kurseong, whose help in 

 the microscopic part of the work was extremely valuable. 



* See Report U.S.A. Dept. Agri., No. 65, 1900. 



