228 Green . — On the germination of the tuber of 
Still I always found that any solution or suspension of inulin 
that had been standing for some weeks contained a trace of 
sugar. This fact at first was very disturbing, but its import- 
ance was minimised by having very careful control experi- 
ments always carried out side by side with the others during 
the whole investigation. 
The effect of the ferment is therefore in this, as in so many 
other cases, to bring about more quickly an effect that can be 
caused by other agencies. 
The ferment so demonstrated is distinct from the ordinary 
diastase which transforms starch into sugar. An experiment 
on this point is subjoined. 
Large test-tubes were taken and treated as under : — 
A contained io cc. glycerine-extract of tubers -j- 15 cc. 
inulin-solution. 
B contained 10 cc. glycerine-extract of tubers boiled 
+ 15 cc. inulin-solution. 
C contained 10 cc. glycerine-extract of tubers + 15 cc. 
one per cent, starch-paste. 
D contained 10 cc. glycerine- extract of tubers boiled 
+ 15 cc. one per cent, starch-paste. 
The tubes were then put in a water bath at 35°C. A 
gradually and regularly showed an increase in the amount of 
reduction noticeable on boiling with Fehling’s fluid, while B, 
C, and D remained exactly as at first for four days. The 
ferment is therefore not diastase. 
It is interesting to note here that while the inulin-ferment is 
not able to act upon starch, saliva, which is so energetic with 
the latter, has little or no power to convert inulin. In two 
experiments upon this point I subjected inulin to the action 
of saliva for twenty minutes and for twenty-four hours re- 
spectively, and got no perceptible amount of sugar formed 
in either case. That the saliva was active I proved by having 
control tubes containing starch, which were treated exactly 
like those containing inulin, and these showed conversion 
proceeding at the normal rate. 
