566 Vines . — - Proteolytic Enzyme of Nepenthes if hi). 
a dilute solution of hydrochloric acid (amounting to o-oi c.c. 
HC 1 ), and the same addition was made to C after it had been 
heated for about ten minutes in a water-bath at ioo°C. : the 
three tubes were set to digest for three days at 37* C., camphor 
being used as an antiseptic. The examination of the contents 
of the tubes then showed that A contained no albumin or 
syntonin, and only doubtful traces of albumoses, whence it 
was concluded that here peptonification had been complete : 
the same result was obtained with B : whilst in C there was 
no albumin, but a great deal of syntonin, a small quantity of 
albumoses, and no peptone, results which are entirely attri- 
butable to the action of the introduced acid. Commenting 
on these facts, Clautriau makes the remark that the addition 
of HC1 to the pitcher-liquid, which has been usual in ex- 
periments of this kind, is clearly unnecessary, since peptoni- 
fication took place in the tube A without added acid. 
In other similar experiments at a lower temperature (about 
20° C.) he found that digestion proceeded very much more 
slowly. He then raises the question as to whether or not it is 
actually the case that, as asserted by von Gorup-Besanez ( 3 ) 
and others, the liquid of young unopened pitchers is quite as 
active as that of open pitchers, provided that it be acidified 
with HC 1 . He is inclined to take the opposite view, having 
on two occasions failed to obtain peptonification with liquid 
from unopened pitchers. 
To the important question as to the nature of the proteo- 
lytic enzyme of the pitcher-liquid, Clautriau gives the answer 
that it is a pepsin : that is, an enzyme acting on the higher 
proteids in an acid medium, giving rise to peptones, but in- 
capable of decomposing proteids into non-proteid substances 
such as leucin and tyrosin. He briefly criticizes the view 
which I have expressed (11 b , p. 555) that the enzyme is not 
peptic, but tryptic, in its action. 
In conclusion, I would briefly mention his interesting obser- 
vations on the absorption of the products of digestion in the 
pitchers. Using a solution of methylene-blue, he found that 
on introducing it into a living pitcher, the colouring-matter 
