IN THE SEED WHICH ACCOMPANY GERMINATION. 
51 
the cells of the gastric glands. It depends essentially on the destruction of the 
zymogen and of the ferment by alkalis, and by passing a stream of C0 2 through the 
extract of the gland. They find that, while both these reagents ultimately destroy 
both pepsinogen and pepsin, the destruction of the zymogen is much more rapid than 
that of the ferment by C0 3 , while the opposite conditions are found to obtain in the 
case of the alkali. 
A quantity of the resting seeds was ground and freed from husks, and a watery 
extract made. To 20 c.c. of this, 2 c.c. of HC1 of 1 per cent, strength were added, and 
the mixture warmed for an hour. This treatment would presumably convert any 
zymogen present into ferment, as it has that effect upon all the animal zymogens. 
It was then carefully neutralised with "2 per cent. Na 2 C0 3 , the quantity of the latter 
used being noted. For reference, this mixture may be called F. 
To another 20 c.c. of the extract a mixture of 2 c.c. of 1 per cent. HC1 and the 
same quantity of Na 3 C0 3 that was used in the first case was at once added. This 
may be called Z. Both now contained the same amount of extract, and the same amount 
and description of salts. The only difference was that one had been warmed with 
acid and the other had not. 
How 5 c.c. of each of the mixtures F and Z so prepared were warmed for some time 
with 5 c.c. of 1 per cent. Na s C0 3 . They were then again acidified, the strength 
eventually being ‘2 per cent. TIC1, and fibrin was added. They were then put to 
digest in dialysers as before. 
Control experiments were made by adding at once to 5 c.c. of each of the two 
mixtures F and Z the same amount of 1 per cent. Na 3 C0 3 and of acid used in the 
previous cases, and these were then put to digest with fibrin in dialysers side by side 
with the others. 
The only differences now between the last two sets of tubes were that the first two 
tubes had been warmed with alkali before being put to digest, while the last two had 
had the alkali neutralised without warming. 
Simultaneous experiments were carried out on the effect of C0 2 on the extract. 
The gas was passed through equal quantities of the mixtures F and Z, and these were 
subjected to experiment with fibrin in dialysers, like the others. Controls were kept 
in which quantities of F and Z through which no C0 3 had been passed were tested. 
The dialysates were in all cases ‘2 per cent. HC1. 
The experiments were repeated under varied conditions as to length of exposure to 
the action of these different reagents. 
The result of the whole series was to show that the alkali had an injurious effect 
upon the extract always, but that the C0 3 did no harm if the latter had been treated 
with acid before the gas was passed through it. 
Comparing these results with those of Langley and Edkins, the following con¬ 
clusions seem probable :—- 
1. Zymogen and not ferment exists in the resting seeds. 
h 2 
