204 Report or DEPARTMENT OF BACTERIOLOGY OF THE 
ing his earlier idea that “there appear to be two varities of 
cytase, one attacking most readily the middle lamella, the 
other the layers deposited upon it.” 
It only remains to refer in this connection to the accounts 
of two other enzyms of the cytolytic class. 
Effront (1897) obtained from the carob bean a ferment he 
calls caroubinase. This acts upon a peculiar carbohydrate 
caroubin, differing from both starch and cellulose, which he 
obtained not only from this bean but also from barley and rye. 
Caroubinase has been classed with the cytases, but differs 
from those previously discussed in that it withstands a tem- 
perature as high as 80° C. It is of interest in the present 
discussion only as suggesting that other classes of cytolytic 
_enzym may be revealed upon further investigation. 
Wiesner (1885) states that there occurs in gum arabic an 
enzym capable of transforming cellulose into gum and muci- 
lage. This apparently needs further study before acceptance, 
but it again suggests the same idea. 
CLASSIFICATION AND NOMENCLATURE OF THE 
CYTOLYTIC ENZYMS. 
In the first place we would again call attention to the fact 
that these studies have added strength to the argument that 
the cytolytic enzym or cytases stand in a class apart from the 
amylolytic enzyms or disastases. This is evidenced by the uni- 
formly lower point of thermal destruction of the cytases; by 
the fact that cytases occur which show no diastatic action 
whatever, e. g., that of B. carotovorus ; by the further fact that 
diastases occur which show no cytolytic action whatever, e. g., 
that of saliva.!? Where enzymic solutions show both cytolytic 
and amylolytic activity they have been found to exercise these 
in unlike ratios, sometimes one and sometimes the other pre- 
dominating, as shown by Newcombe. The only conclusion per- 
missible is that in such cases two enzyms occur in mixture in 
varying proportions. 
w Ct. Browns HL, .L8oseaoo. 
