Catalase is a ferment which occurs in all vegetable and animal tissues, and is characterized by its power of decomposing hydrogen peroxide with the formation of water and the evolution of oxygen. Schoenbein in his studies on hydrogen peroxide, found that it was decomposed by extracts of animal and plant tissues obtained from the most diverse sources, and he considered that all ferments possessed the property of decomposing hydrogen peroxide, which besides was able to effect their specific activity. His experiments showed not only that some enzymes did not have the power of splitting hydrogen peroxide, but that by the addition of weak acids and other inhibitors, enzymes could be made to lose their power of decomposing hydrogen peroxide without losing their specific action, for example, by heating emulsin or by adding weak acids to it, its action on hydrogen peroxide decreased more rapidly than its action on amygdalin. This was the first indication of the specific nature of the enzyme which catalytically decomposes hydrogen peroxide, namely, catalase.The property tissue extracts have of producing a blue coloration with tincture of guaiac in the presence of hydrogen peroxide was also thought by Schoenbein to be brought about by the various soluble ferments. He obtained both of the above reactions--the guaiac blueing test in the presence of hydrogen peroxide, and the 1
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