3io 
Vines . — The Proteases of Plants . 
Experiment 5 . In this experiment 0-2 grm. of fibrin was completely digested 
by 50 cc. mushroom-extract, to which NaF to 1 % had been added, in 18 hours. 
These results clearly indicated that watery extracts of the Mushroom 
digest fibrin, in agreement with those of Hjort. However, I was not 
altogether satisfied, as digestion of fibrin did not occur in every experiment. 
With the object of obtaining active extracts with greater certainty, I had 
recourse to the method of extraction with 2 °/ 0 NaCl solution that had 
proved serviceable in the case of yeast, and with the same success. 
Experiment 6. 120 grms. fresh mushroom-pulp were extracted with 300 cc. 
2 % Na Cl solution for 2 1 hours ; the liquid was then strained off through muslin, and 
placed in 8 bottles each holding 40 cc. with 0-2 grm. fibrin. The treatment of the 
bottles was — No. 1, nothing added; No. 2, liquid boiled; No. 3, added HCN to 
o-2 %; No. 4, added NaF to 1 % ; No. 5, added chloroform to 0-5 % ; No. 6, added 
toluol to 0-5 % ; No. 7, added HC 1 to o*i % ; No. 8, added HC 1 to 0-2 %. 
After 20 hours’ digestion in the incubator the fibrin had completely disappeared 
in Nos. 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 ; it had not undergone any apparent diminution in Nos. 2, 7, 8. 
I found that it is also possible to obtain active extract from dried 
Mushroom. 
Experiment 7 . 8 grms. of dried pileus (had been kept for over 6 months) 
extracted for 4 hours with 100 cc. 2 % NaCl solution; filtered, and added toluol to 
1 %. 30 cc. of this liquid had completely digested 0-2 grm. fibrin within 19 hours. 
I incidentally observed that 20 cc. of the expressed juice of fresh 
Mushroom digested 0-2 grm. fibrin within 24 hours in the presence of 
1 °/ o toluol. 
In another experiment a comparison was instituted between the 
relative activities of aqueous and 2°/ o NaCl extracts which were (a) of 
natural acidity, or ( b ) acidified to o-i °/ o HC1, or (c) made alkaline by adding 
Na z C 0 3 to 0-5 °/ o , in the presence of toluol. 
Experiment 8. 60 grms. fresh mushroom-pulp were extracted for about 
24 hours with 250 cc. distilled water ; a similar quantity of pulp was extracted for the 
same time with 250 cc. 2% NaCl solution. 40 cc. of the filtered aqueous extract 
were put, with some toluol and 0-2 grm. fibrin, into each of 3 bottles: to No. 1, 
nothing was added ; to No. 2, HC 1 to o*i % ; to No. 3, Na 2 C 0 3 to 0-5 %. 40 cc. of 
the NaCl extract were also put into each of 3 bottles, and similarly treated. 
After 24 hours in the incubator (38-40^.) the result was that the fibrin had not 
been digested, or apparently diminished, in any one of the bottles containing the 
aqueous extract, whilst it had disappeared in the bottle containing the NaCl extract 
alone, but not in either the Na 2 C 0 3 or the HC 1 bottles. 
The superior activity of the NaCl extract is more marked, as was the 
case with yeast, the more dilute the liquids. 
Experiment 9 . 2-5 grms. of partly dried Mushroom were extracted (4 hours) 
with 50 cc. 2 % NaCl solution, and an equal quantity with 50 cc. distilled water. 
