1913.] Processes Operative in Solutions and Enzyme Action. 563 



heated : finally, he refers to the discovery of diastase (Dunbrunfaut, 1830) 

 and then discusses Mitscherlich's investigation of the formation of ether 

 from sulphuric acid and alcohol and the manner in which this chemist had 

 correlated with that of acids the action of diastase on starch. 



On account of the evidence afforded by his observations that water passes 

 over together with ether, leaving the acid unchanged, when a mixture of 

 sulphuric acid and alcohol is heated, Mitscherlich had supposed that the acid 

 exercises the same power over alcohol that alkali exercises over hydrogen 

 peroxide, arguing that its influence could not be ascribed to its affinity for 

 water as the water was. vaporised with the ether : he was further led to 

 conclude that sulphuric acid and diastase act similarly on starch. 



Hence Berzelius came to the conclusion that many substances, simple as 

 well as compound, have the property in the solid and also in the dissolved 

 state, of exercising an influence on compound substances which is quite 

 different from that of ordinary chemical affinity, as they influence the 

 occurrence of changes without their own constituents being necessarily 

 concerned in the change — though there are cases in which this may happen. 

 But he took care to point out that whilst he preferred to speak of the force 

 contemplated as new it was presumably only the manifestation in a special 

 way of the ordinary electrochemical properties inherent in matter. His 

 views are summarised in the following statement : — 



" Die katalytische Kraft scheint eigentlich darin zu bestehen, dass Korper 

 durch ihre blosse Gegenwart und nicht durch ihre Verwandschaft die bei 

 diesen Temperaturen schlummernden Verwandtschaften zu erwecken 

 vermogen, so dass zufolge derselben in einem zusammengesefczten Korper 

 die Elemente sich in solchen anderen Verhaltnissen ordnen durch welche 

 eine grossere electrochemische Neutralisierung hervorgebracht wird." 



Berzelius finally calls attention to the possibility of " thousands of 

 catalytic processes " being operative under vital conditions. 



The meaning attached to the word catalysis in the interval has not only 

 been vague but as often as not the term has been used to cloak ignorance 

 and simulate understanding. 



The following definition is given in a well-known dictionary : — 



" Catalysis — a decomposition and new combination supposed by Berzelius 

 and other chemists to be produced among the proximate and elementary 

 principles of one or more compounds by virtue of the mere presence of a 

 substance or substances which do not of themselves enter into combination." 



There is no doubt that gradually the term has been interpreted as 

 implying an action of presence, the catalyst being regarded as a material 



