From the PREFACE. THE interest which I have taken in the chemistry of proteids and in the chemical nature of protoplasm ever since I devoted myself to chemistry awakened the desire some years ago to frame some conception of the mode of origin of these substances in plants. Setting out from certain observations which bear upon the subject I became convinced that there must exist an unstable modification of albumin with which alone we have to do in living protoplasm and differing from that of dead protoplasm or from ordinary ...
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From the PREFACE. THE interest which I have taken in the chemistry of proteids and in the chemical nature of protoplasm ever since I devoted myself to chemistry awakened the desire some years ago to frame some conception of the mode of origin of these substances in plants. Setting out from certain observations which bear upon the subject I became convinced that there must exist an unstable modification of albumin with which alone we have to do in living protoplasm and differing from that of dead protoplasm or from ordinary albumin, though easily passing into it. On this assumption I ultimately found myself able in great measure to account for the production of albumin itself as well as to enunciate laws of toxic actions which not only covered the facts already known but also others revealed by observations carried out to test their validity. Moreover, that hypothesis led Dr. Bokorny and myself to the actual discovery of a very easily changeable albumin contained as reserve material in various plants and remarkable for its properties. The theory having thus proved its value as a guide to the discovery of new truth, I believe it will be useful to give a survey of it and the facts on which it rests, descriptions of which now lie siattered through various publications. I trust that scientific readers will treat the question with unbiased mind; all I ask for is impartial consideration and positive criticism. Some of the chapters of this treatise have, in more or less abridged form, been communications to the Bulletin of the Agricultural College of the Imperial University, Japan , and in part have made the substance of lectures to scientific Societies in Tokyo....
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