ON ALCOHOLIC FERMENTS. 
227 
suits and mine: albumen, put in contact with a solution of 
sugar, at the temperature of 92° F., is converted into a fer- 
ment, whose action is very weak at the end of three weeks ; 
whilst the cerebral mass of an adult acts, at the end of 48 
hours, as an energetic alcoholic ferment. 
The substance which composes the brain is formed by 
the union of globules of different kinds. Among these the 
most important are the albuminous globules, which present 
the microscopic appearance of the ferment of dregs, and 
which act like it on the solution of sugar ; these globules 
are not constituted of pure albumen, as has hitherto been 
thought. Indeed, if we treat the cerebral mass of an adult 
with water acidulated with 0.001 of hydrochloric acid, this 
pretended albumen is not dissolved ; to dissolve it, it is ne- 
cessary previously to bruise it with silica. These experi- 
ments show us that the protei'c globules of the brain are 
formed, like the globules of ferment, of an envelope inso- 
luble in acidulated water, and of an enclosed albuminous 
matter, soluble in that vehicle. 
If, instead of taking the cerebral mass of an adult animal, 
that of a newly-born animal be selected, if it be put into a 
solution of sugar, and if the mixture be exposed to a tem- 
perature of 77° F., alcoholic fermentation does not take 
place, but the mucous transformation is observed. 
The reason of this difference is very simple. The en- 
velopes of the brain of a young animal have not sufficient 
resistance, they are destroyed by endosmose in the solution 
of sugar, and, the globules no longer existing, alcoholic fer- 
mentation cannot take place. 
Nature of the globules of alcoholic ferments. 
The globules of alcoholic ferments present the most com- 
plete analogy with the nervous globules of superior animals. 
When, in definite conditions, these vegetables ramify and 
are transformed into vegetable infusoria, they lose their 
characters as ferments; the spores themselves of these new 
