352        Recent  Literature  Relating  to  Pharmacy.    { ^m ' /u ^ 'i 902? r m ' 
RECENT  LITERATURE  RELATING  TO  PHARMACY. 
THE  NATURE   OF   THE  ENZYMES. 
There  appeared  in  the  Pharmaceutische  Centralhalle ,  for  October, 
1 901,  an  article  upon  the  nature  of  the  enzymes,  in  which  the 
author,  Th.  Bokorny,  gives  quite  a  comprehensive  treatise,  in  a 
tabular  form,  of  the  most  important  of  the  enzymes,  together  with  a 
short  theoretical  consideration  as  to  their  source  and  probable 
admixtures  as  contained  in  the  protoplasm,  together  with  methods 
for  their  extraction  and  effect  upon  their  fermentative  activity  as 
produced  by  physical  and  chemical  means. 
The  separation  of  the  enzymes  from  their  admixtures  is  very  dif- 
ficult, and  in  fact  can  rarely  be  accomplished  without  damage  to  or 
destruction  of  their  fermentative  power.  As  the  protoplasms  consist 
of  nucleoalbumins,  the  enzymes  obtained  from  them  are  likewise 
nucleoalbumins,  because  the  splitting  of  albuminous  material,  carbo- 
hydrates, etc.,  is  carried  out  by  the  protoplasmic  material  given  off 
by  the  living  protoplasm,  and  consequently,  for  fermentation,  the 
direct  contact  of  the  living  protoplasm  is  not  necessary. 
Halliburton  and  Pekelharing  have  confirmed  the  theory  as 
regards  the  nucleoalbuminous  nature  of  some  of  the  enzymes.  J. 
R.  Green  accepts  the  same  theory  and  practically  demonstrates  it 
in  regard  to  the  majority  of  the  enzymes,  in  his  book  upon  the 
subject. 
"The  agreement  of  enzymes  with  the  protoplasm  as  regards 
ability  of  reaction  toward  outside  influences,  slight  loss  of  endur- 
ing activity  (degeneration),  existence  of  an  active,  for  a  time  inac- 
tive, enduring  active  condition,  indicates,  as  the  editor  has  shown 
further  on,  that  it  is  about  active  albuminous  material  or  about 
protoplasmic  proteid." 
In  the  following  tables  is  seen  the  remarkable  parallelisms  that 
exist  between  the  protoplasm  and  enzyme  as  regards  their  behavior 
toward  light,  temperature,  desiccation,  poison,  etc.  "  How  is  this  to 
be  otherwise  explained  than  by  the  acceptation  that  both  consist  of 
one  and  the  same  enegmatic  material  out  of  active  protein?"  The 
yeast  contains  in  its  protoplasm,  according  to  the  author,  perhaps  a 
dozen  different  plasmaproteids. 
The  name  of  the  protoplasm  or  enzyme,  together  with  the  factors 
influencing  its  activity,  might  be  given  in  the  following  form  so  as 
