414 
CHEMISTRY OF THE DIGESTIVE PROCESSES. 
formed from protoalbumose and that from heteroalbumose are distinct bodies, 
being distinguished by the fact that the deutero-compound formed from 
protoalbumose is to some extent soluble in saturated solution of ammonium 
sulphate. 1 
Starting with fibrin, and forming albumoses from it both by the 
action of acids and by peptic digestion, Neumeister also showed that in 
order of time proto- and /teferoalbuinoses first appeared, to be followed 
later in the process by e^M^roalbuniose. 
Fibrin was boiled for three-quarters of an hour with 1 per cent, 
sulphuric acid, after which the fluid was neutralised, and the neutralisa- 
tion precipitate removed. In the filtrate both proto- and heteroalbu- 
moses were found, but not a trace of deuteroalbumose ; the latter first 
appeared after some hours' boiling, and by a continuance of the process 
increased at the expense of the proto- and hetero-compounds so as to be 
present finally in preponderating quantity. 
In accordance with these experiments, Neumeister 2 considers that 
the peptic digestion of proteids takes place as represented in the follow- 
ing scheme, in which the preponderance of any group is shown by a 
dark line, while its presence in small quantity is signified by a light 
dine : — 
Hemigroups 
Protoalbumose 
(Amphoalbumose) 
Deuteroalbumose 
(Amphoalbumose) 
Proteid Molecule, 
consisting of 
Autigroups 
Heteroalbumose 
(Amphoalbumose) 
Antialbumid 
Deuteroalbumose Deuteroalbumose 
(Amphoalbumose) (Antialbumose) 
Amphopeptone 
Amphopeptone 
Antipeptone 
Tryptic Digestion of Proteids. 
The proteolytic action of the pancreatic juice has not been known 
for nearly so long a period as that of the gastric juice ; it was first 
clearly proclaimed by Corvisart 3 in 1857, although this author refers to 
an earlier statement, by Purkinje and Pappenheim in 183G, that extracts 
of pancreas possess a dissolving action on proteids. 
Claude Bernard 4 knew that pancreatic juice in the presence of bile 
had the power of dissolving proteids, but stated that when alone it 
had no such action, unless the proteid matter had previously been sub- 
jected to the action of bile. This error was removed by Corvisart, who 
clearly proved that pancreatic juice alone at the temperature of the 
l Ztschr.f. Biol., Miinchen, 1888, Bd. xxiv. S. 267. 
2 Ibid., Miinchen, 1887, Bd. xxiii. S. 381. See also Neumeister, '•Lehrbuch der 
physiologischen Chemie," Jena, where Neumeister concludes: — "The expression 
hemipeptone has, according to this representation, only a theoretical meaning, and the 
term hemialbumose corresponds to older notions and ought to be allowed gradually to 
disappear from the text-books." 
3 " Collection de memoires sur une fonction peu connue du pancreas, la digestion des 
aliments azotes," Paris, 1857. 
4 " Lecons de physiologie experimentale," 1856, tome ii. p. 440. 
