CLE. IVA GE THEOR V OF PROTEID DIGESTION. 419 
been such a separation, even partially, achieved, although these are admitted 
to be ampho-bodiea by the supporters of the theory. 
But if the cleavage theory be not accepted, what explanation is there 
for the fact that different albumoses yield varying accounts of amido- 
acids, which suffer varying amounts of decomposition, under the action 
of trypsin '. 
The different proteids, and the products derived from them, differ so 
little in chemical composition (and this is especially true for the various 
albumoses), that the difference in their nature is probably due to a differ- 
ence in atomic grouping. Is it not probable, then, that some of these 
groups are much more susceptible of decomposition than others ; that 
those albumoses which yield much amido-acid contain more groups in 
their molecules which are decomposable by trypsin; that those which 
yield much antipeptone contain less of these decomposable groups ; and 
that in all cases that substance (or substances) which w r e call antipeptone 
is the remainder after all those groups which are attackable by trypsin 
have been removed in the form of amido-acids '■ 
It will be seen that this substitutes, for two molecules, one easily 
attackable, the other wholly unattackable by trypsin, one molecule; of 
which a portion, variable in the case of each albumose, is attacked by the 
trypsin and a residue left, in which there are no groups that the trypsin 
is" able to attack ; such a substitution relieves one from belief in a large 
number of substances of which the existence has never been proven. 
Again, if a cleavage of the proteid molecule takes place, at the begin- 
ning of the digestive process, into anti- and hemi-groups, of which the 
anti-groups, after passing through the albumose stage, become finally 
converted into antipeptone, while the hemi-groups, after passing through 
both albumose and peptone stage, become finally converted into amido- 
acids, one would expect, in an interrupted tryptic digestion, to find 
these intermediate hemi-prqducts mixed with the intermediate anti- 
products ; to find substances, corresponding to those found in peptic 
digestion, which would become on more complete tryptic digestion 
partially, at least, broken up into amido-acids. No such compounds or 
mixtures are, however, actually found ; no hemi-compound is ever found 
at any stage of tryptic digestion. As already stated, proto- and hetero- 
albumose are never formed, only deuteroalbumose. 
Neither is there any evidence of the formation of such a substance 
as amphopeptone in tryptic digestion, only antipeptone is formed. In 
short, there is no evidence whatever in tryptic digestion of two parallel 
series of anti- and hemi-bodies proceeding pari passu into anti- and hemi- 
peptones, of which the latter becomes decomposed into amido-acids. If 
any hemi-bodies are formed, they are at once broken down into amido- 
acids, without passing through the preliminary stages of hemialbumose 
and hemipeptone ; at any rate, there is no experimental evidence of such 
a passage. Also, when protoalbumose is obtained as a product of 
fractional peptic digestion, and submitted to the action of trypsin, it is 
directly broken up into amido-acids, no deuteroalbumose or hemipeptone 
being discoverable as intermediate products. Similarly, heteroalbumose 
is in part converted into amido-acids, and in part into anft'-deuteroalbu- 
mose, which passes later into antipeptone without any formation of 
Aewu-deuteroalbuniose or amphopeptone. 1 
1 Neumeister, Ztschr. f. Biol., Miinchen, 1887, Bd. xxiii. S. 381. 
