During the last three decades of the nineteenth century, the gulf between German plant physiology and English botany was closed. Through the efforts of a dedicated group of young scientists the taxonomic tradition of English botany was gradually dismantled, and replaced by a physiologically orientated science, which emphasised the vital properties of the plant. The conceptual and institutional foundations for this change are described, as is the separate development of the English brewing industry. The activities of the leading figures in (...) both areas provide a context for the discussion of the place of the enzyme in late Victorian biology. (shrink)