Green . — On Vegetable Ferments. 127 
Thus invertase sets up the action expressed by the equation 
(p. 9 Z ) C 12 H 22 Oil + H 2 O = C 6 H 12 0 ( ; + C 6 H 12 0 6 . 
Emulsin (p. 99) 
C 26 H, 7 NO n + 2 H 2 O - C 8 H 5 COH + HCN + 2 C 6 H 12 0 6 ; 
the glyceride-ferment (p. 114) 
C57 H 104 0 6 + 3 H 2 O = 3 c l8 H 34 0 2 + C 3 H 5 (HO) 3 ; 
olein oleic acid glycerine 
the enzyme of Torula Ureae (p. 117) 
CON 2 H 4 + 2 H 2 O = (NH 4 ) ? C0 3 . 
urea ammonic carbonate. 
The action of diastase has been variously stated by differ- 
ent authors, but all agree that the process is one of hydration. 
The transformation brought about by the cytohydrolytic 
enzyme has not been fully followed out, but it undoubtedly 
leads to the production of some form of sugar. There is 
a certain amount of evidence obtainable from a study of the 
germination of the Palms, indicating successive hydrations of 
the cellulose prior to its disappearance. 
The relations of the proteids to the peptones and amides 
springing from them is a much more difficult matter to deal 
with. The knowledge we possess of the chemical constitution 
of a proteid is so small that it is difficult even to speculate on 
the nature of the changes which it undergoes in digestion, 
while its molecule is so large that the possibility of its taking 
up water in such changes almost escapes the power of analysis. 
Several views have been advanced as to the relation of 
ordinary proteids to peptones, the chief being that this is 
either one of hydration, or that proteids are polymers of 
peptones. In favour of the former view we have analogy with 
the majority of the enzymes known, and the fact that peptone 
agrees with the hydrated products of the latter in increased 
solubility in water as compared with ordinary proteids. 
Moreover it is possible by dehydrating agents to convert 
peptone into a body resembling syntonin, which is itself an 
intermediate product formed during the conversion of albu- 
min or globulin into peptone. If io parts of dry peptone 
