"^""noTissI™'}      The  Volatile  Products  of  PutrefaGtion.  581 
iihe  greater  portion  of  it  dissolves ;  but  as  recognized  by  M.  Bouchar- 
dat  there  is  always  an  insoluble  residue.  M.  Bechamp  has  demonstra- 
ted that  it  is  in  this  residue  that  the  decomposing  action  in  respect  to 
peroxide  of  hydrogen  is  found  and  not  in  the  soluble  portion  that  is 
removed  by  hydrochloric  acid. 
The  granular  substance  insoluble  in  hydrochloric  acid  is  still  an 
:albumenoid  matter,  possessing  the  general  properties  of  albumenoids. 
When  heated  to  boiling  in  water  it  loses  its  decomposing  power  upon 
peroxide  of  hydrogen.  If  dried  in  a  vacuum  in  the  cold  it,  on  the 
contrary,  retains  the  power.  The  same  happens  when  it  is  treated 
with  alcohol  and  ether;  a  little  fatty  matter  is  removed  without  modi- 
fying its  decomposing  power.  When  this  singular  substance  has  been 
well  prepared  its  action  upon  peroxide  of  hydrogen  is  as  rapid  as  that 
of  the  metallic  oxides. 
It  may  be  mentioned  that  in  a  subsequent  communication  to  the 
Academy  ("Comptes  Eendus,''  xciv,  1382)  Messrs.  Bert  and  Kegnard 
confirm  M.  Bechamp's  statement  that  the  power  of  decomposing 
peroxide  of  hydrogen  resides  in  the  portion  of  fibrin  not  dissolved  in 
dilute  hydrochloric  acid.  They  further  state  that  if  fibrin  be  con- 
verted into  peptone  by  artificial  digestion  it  is  no  longer  capable  of 
decomposing  peroxide  of  hydrogen,  but  that  this  property  is  not 
affected  by  putrefaction.  Another  observation  of  these  experimenters 
that  in  every  case  an  organized  ferment,  such  as  beer  yeast,  is  imme- 
diately destroyed  by  contact  with  peroxide  of  hydrogen,  whilst  solu- 
ble ferments,  such  as  diastase  and  the  gastric  and  pancreatic  juices, 
are  not  affected  by  it,  may  give  a  clue  to  the  nature  of  the  ferment 
associated  with  fibrin. 
The  memoir  of  M.  Bechamp  contains  the  results  of  his  attempts  to 
separate  definite  substances  from  various  albumenoid  matters,  and 
enumerates  the  various  ferments  that  he  has  found  associated  with 
them  as  well  as  their  properties. — Pliar.  Jour,  and  Trans.,  July  22, 
1882;  from  Journal  de  Pliarmaeie. 
THE  VOLATILE  PRODUCTS  OF  PUTREFACTION. 
By  Dr.  G.  Le  Bon. 
In  a  paper  recently  laid  before  the  French  Academy,  the  author 
states  that  as  the  result  of  his  latest  experiments  on  the  antiseptic  pro- 
