ENZOESTY, en-zrn-D (Gk. ?v, cn, in is ;:.'6on, animal). A disease which seems to be permanently established among the animals of a certain leality. The term corresponds to `endemic disease' in mankind.
ENZYME clizymos, leavened, from Gk. Fv, ea, in :gnu', leaven). A name applied to any one of a certain group of substances that occur in plants and in animals, and have the power of decomposing various car bon compotmds when brought into contact with them. They were formerly called 'unorganized ferments,' to distinguish them from yeasts and bacteria ('organized ferments'), which produce similar changes. The distinction has no value; for it has been shown that the action of the so called organized ferments is usually due to en zymes secreted by them. Little is known of the chemistry of the enzymes; indeed. there is no available test of their presence except their ac tion. and no way of establishing their purity.
When prepared by any of the usual methods they are certainly mixed with other substances. Nev ertheless, many known facts point to their pro teid nature, and it is even conjectured that they arc nuelco-proteids. Enzymes are produced in all kinds of plants. They may generally be obtained elements of water and is at the same time split up chemically. One class of enzymes, however, causes oxidation, and two enzymes are known which split up compounds without introducing other atoms into their molecules. The following are examples of these changes: (1) An hydrolysis effected by the enzyme in vertase: + = CoH.OG Water Glucose Fructose (2) An oxidation effected by the enzyme lactase: (OH), + 02 = Elydroquinone Water ' Quinone (3) A decomposition effected by the enzyme myrosin: