394 
Story  of  the  Papaw. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
August,  1901. 
PEPSIN  DIGESTION. 
Albumen. 
Antialbumose 
Hemialbumose 
Antipeptone 
Hemipeptone 
NITROGEN  IN  DIGESTIVE  PRODUCTS. 
It  is  well  known  that  the  hemialbumoses  and  peptones  formed  by 
pepsin  or  trypsin  show  an  increase  of  nitrogen  above  that  of  the 
original  proteids.  In  the  case  of  the  ferments  under  consideration 
this  is  reversed ;  the  proteid  products  show  a  decrease  in  the  nitro- 
gen content.  The  following  experiment  illustrates  this :  The 
clear  filtrate  resulting  from  a  prolonged  digestion  of  egg  albumin  in 
a  neutral  solution,  was  concentrated,  filtered  and  precipitated  with 
alcohol,  extracted  with  hot  alcohol ;  the  resultant  mass  (consisting 
for  the  most  part  of  peptones)  was  then  subjected  to  analysis  by  the 
Kjeldahl  process.  The  average  result  of  three  trials  expressed  in 
percentage  was  N,  14-14. 
The  following  comparison  with  the  nitrogen  content  of  proteids 
will  illustrate  the  point: — 
Egg  albumen  N.  16.02  Hamerstein  ..... 
Hemialbumose  .  N.  16.55  -      •  ■•'  Kuhne 
Soluble  proteoses 
(papaw  ferments)  N.  14.14       (3  trials)  Kilmer 
The  action  of  the  papaw  ferments  upon  milk  is  quite  identical  to 
the  action  of  pancreatin.  There  is  first  the  act  of  curdling  in  which 
the  casein  is  separated  into  a  soft  flocculent  precipitate ;  this  is 
followed  by  a  digestion  of  the  proteids,  during  which  process  they 
are  converted  into  soluble  and  diffusible  products.  The  curdling 
takes  place  at  ordinary  temperature  in  neutral  or  alkaline  reaction  ; 
is  delayed  by  increase  of  alkalinity,  and  hastened  by  increase  of 
temperature.  The  digestive  action  proceeds  independent  of  the  act 
of  curdling,  and  whether  the  reaction  is  neutral,  acid  or  alkaline. 
(Best  digestion  is  with  2  per  cent,  bicarbonate  of  soda  or  25  per 
cent,  lime  water.) 
