52 Buller . — The Enzymes of Poly pomes squamosus, Huds. 
The extract was added to fibrin in test-tubes. The latter were then shaken 
up and set in a warm bath at 40° C. After two days the fibrin had under- 
gone no apparent digestion. The following table gives fuller details of the 
experiment. 
TABLE I. 
No. 
Extract. 
Fibrin. 
Antiseptic. 
Acid or 
alkali added. 
Special 
treatment. 
Result. 
1 
! Experiment 
| Control 
2 
20 C.C. 
>> 
0.5 gm. 
>> 
0.25 c.c. toluol 
> > 
none 
extract boiled. 
/ 
' Experiment 
3 
10 C.C. 
0.5 gm. 
0-25 c.c. toluol ' 
\ 5 c.c. of a / 
. — 
<D 
m 
<u 
| 
1 0. 5 per cent. 1 
J 
) 
Experiment 
4 
>> 
>> . 
> sodium car- ! 
— 
. Ifl 
1 
1 bonatesolu- f 
rm z 
\ 
, Control 
5 
99 
>> ; 
1 tion. v 
extract boiled. 
C 3 S 
<u ^ 
y s co 
( CU 
Experiment 
6 
10 C.C. 
0.5 gm. 
0.25 c.c. toluol ) 
( 5 c.c. of a r 
Pm u 
a <u 
1 
o-2 per cent. ) 
O rt 
( 
hydrochloric j 
a 
Experiment 
7 
,, 
» ) 
acid solution. 1 
.5 
\ 
one half the 1 
is 
Control 
8 
5 c.c. 
0.25 gm. 
0.125 c.c. toluol < 
above > 
extract boiled. 
s 
V 
1 
amount. ) 
) 
According to Vines 1 a certain vegetable protease is so constituted that, 
whilst it is unable to break down the albumens, it yet has the power to 
bring about the hydrolysis of albumoses and peptones. Such an enzyme 
he calls erepsin. The extract of Polyporus squamostis appears to act in this 
way. The tests for hydrolysis were made upon Witte peptone in Nessler 
tubes at a temperature of 40° C. in accordance with the methods of Vines. 
The following table gives particulars of the experiments. 
TABLE II. 
No. 
Fungus. 
Witte 
Special 
treatment . 
Results with iodine after 
peptone. 
15 hours. 
39 hours. 
Experiment 
Experiment 
Control . . 
1 > 
2 
3 y 
extract from 
2 gm. of dried I 
Fungus chips , 
made up to ’ 
50 c.c. with 
water. 
j o -3 gm. 
>> 
1.5 c.c. of a 
4 per cent, 
hydrocyanic 
acid solution, 
none. 
extract boiled. 
distinct 
violet ring. 
no violet colour. 
well-marked 
violet ring. 
very distinct 
violet ring, 
no violet colour. 
Experiment 
4 ' 
2 gm. of dried 
1 Fungus chips 
V to which were 
0.3 gm. 
1.5 c.c. of a 
4 per cent, 
hydrocyanic 
acid solution. 
violet pre- 
cipitate. 
very distinct 
violet 
precipitate. 
Experiment 
5 
added 50 c.c. 
)} 
none. 
no violet 
precipitate. 
Control . . 
6 
of water. 
>> 
V 
Fungus chips 
boiled. 
no violet 
precipitate. 
1 The Proteases of Plants, Ann. of Bot., vol. xix, 1905, pp. 171-87. 
