72 
ON THE VEGETABLE CHEESE, NATTO. 
were products of the bacterial action. Considering the high 
temperature of the warmed cellar, the considerable extent of 
the bacterial decomposition is not very surprising. There can 
hardly be any doubt that the natto -preparation is more easily 
digestible than the original soya bean, as it is very soft 
and contains more peptone. 
We add finally the determination of the different forms of 
nitrogen in the soya been and in natto. 
Soya 
Natto prepared 
bean. 
from the same 
Total nitrogen. 2) 
7.355 % 
soya bean. 
7.542% 
Nitrogen of proteids 
(excluding peptone) 
6,899 
4>°33 
Nitrogen of amides 
0,128 
1,892 
Nitrogen of peptone 
0,328 
1,617. 
1) While the water of the air-dry soya bean, amounted to 15,16 o/ 0j that of natto 
amounted to 59,120/0. 
2) The relative increase of total nitrogen in natto may be chiefly due to the 
loss of carbon as carbon dioxide during the fermentation. 
» 
