O'Brien. — The Proteids of Wheat. 209 
a still lower estimate.) This proteid may be thus accounted 
for : — 
Gluten (pure) 8-3 1 
Globulin i*i > 10-566 
Proteose and proteid not accounted for 1-166 ) 
The total nitrogen of 100 grams of flour, 1 *76 1, may be similarly 
apportioned : Ritthausen gives i7-6°/ o N in the wheat-globulin 
(albumin, R) ; Mr. Manley found 14-45°/^ N in the crude 
gluten, dried at ioo° C. : 
Gluten (10%) 1.445 ) 
Globulin (1%) -176 > 1-761 
Proteose, &c. -14 ) 
Obviously, the albuminate, forming 8‘3°/ o of the dry weight 
of flour, must, if not identical with the 8-3°/ o of pure gluten, be 
largely coincident with it. 
These figures seem to warrant the conclusion that the 
substance extracted by alcohol is the precursor of gluten : and 
it has been to some extent shown that the process of gluten- 
formation is one of gradual hydration. The assumption that 
ferment-action is necessary to explain the process is precluded 
by the facts already mentioned : viz. : — 
(1) Gluten is obtainable from flour which has been kept for 
some time at ioo° C. ; 
(2) It is obtainable from such flour even when boiling water 
is employed to make the dough ; 
(3) It is obtainable even at o° C. 
Moreover if a ferment be necessary it must be as widely 
spread as the substance on which it acts : for not the smallest 
particle of flour apparently (unless indeed a starch-grain) can 
be moistened under the microscope without showing gluten- 
formation : the same is seen in experiments (1) and (2) on 
gluten-formation (p. 190). 
The origin of gluten from the globulins of flour seems dis- 
proved. The formation of gluten by washing as well with salt- 
solution as with water, would be impossible on that assumption 
(cf. also (1) and (2) under gluten-formation). Moreover, the 
inferences from the numerous analyses published by Jago 34 
