AMpeb™"S72.wt'}    New  Method  for  Preparing  Pepsin.  59 
100°  F.,  before  the  pepsin  is  added,  it  takes  three  to  four  times  as 
much  pepsin  to  effect  coagulation. 
Alcohol  incompatible  with  Pepsin. — In  my  former  articles 
written  about  pepsin,  I  have  mentioned  the  incompatibility  of  pepsin 
and  alcohol,  and  have  spoken  of  the  impropriety  of  dispensing  pepsin 
in  the  form  of  wine  or  elixir.  Having  now  a  purer  pepsin  at  my  dis- 
posal than  before,  I  repeated  the  experiments  with  entirely  the  same 
result. 
Seven  vials  of  solution  of  pepsin,  each  containing  the  same  amount 
of  pepsin  and  hydrochloric  acid,  were  made  with  that  difference,  that, 
while  vial  No.  1  contained  only  one  fluid-ounce  of  water,  No.  2  con- 
tained one-half  drachm  of  alcohol  and  seven  and  a  half  drachms  of 
water ;  No.  3,  one  drachm  of  alcohol  and  seven  drachms  of  water ;. 
and  so  each  following  vial  one-half  drachm  of  alcohol  more  than  the 
preceding  one,  so  that  in  vial  No.  7  there  were  five  drachms  of  water 
and  three  drachms  of  alcohol.  The  same  amount  of  coagulated  albumen 
was  given  into  each  vial,  which  were  exposed  then  to  a  temperature 
of  100°  F.  After  six  hours  in  vial  No.  1  all  the  albumen  was  dis- 
solved ;  in  No.  2  some  albumen  was  left  undissolved,  No.  3  con- 
tained more,  and  in  No.  4  over  half  of  the  albumen  was  not  dis- 
solved, while  in  five,  six  and  seven  the  albumen  was  a  little  changed 
in  appearance,  but  the  bulk  not  diminished.  The  contents  of  those 
vials  in  which  the  albumen  was  not  much  acted  upon,  emitted  that 
peculiar  sour  odor  which  characterizes  discharges  of  an  overloaded 
stomach  (with  beer  or  wine)  by  vomiting. 
A  solution  of  half  a  grain  of  purified  pepsin  in  half  a  fluid-ounce  of 
water,  with  three  drops  of  hydrochloric  acid,  was  mixed  with  one  fluid- 
ounce  of  sherry  wine,  after  24  hours  filtered,  and  then,  with  the 
addition  of  150  grs.  of  coag.  albumen,  exposed  to  a  temperature  of 
105°  F.  After  six  hours — during  which  time  the  half  grain  of  puri- 
fied pepsin  in  acidulated  watery  solution  would  have  dissolved  250 
grs.  of  coag.  albumen — of  the  150  grs.  at  least  two-thirds  yet  re- 
mained. I  added  now  six  drops  more  of  hydrochloric  acid  to  bring 
the  liquid  to  my  standard  acidity,  but  even  at  the  end  of  24  hours  a 
large  quantity  of  the  albumen  was  undissolved. 
Having  never  made  pepsin  by  any  other  method,  I  am  not  able  nor 
justified  to  judge  between  the  different  products  ;  but  that  my  process 
excels  by  simplicity,  nobody  will  question.  That  a  complicated  process, 
