THE COXNECTIOX OF OXYGEX RESPIRATIOX 87 



conditions and likewise with very young fungus mats. The 

 new results were startling. It appeared that strongly aerobic 

 molds do not give off a trace of CO2 in the absence of oxygen, 

 even when supplied with fermentable sugars, and they die 

 after i-i}^ hours. Diakonow believes they are to be defined 

 as typical aerobic representatives of the Lebenssuhstrate (basis 

 of life) which in general effect no material transformations in 

 the absence of oxygen and grow only with a free access to oxy- 

 gen. Indeed this view found adherents, for in an article pub- 

 lished in the year 1903, Dude^ sought to show that Aspergillus 

 niger dies in hydrogen after 40-120 minutes (in each case after 

 the preparation of the nutrient solution). It will be clear 

 from what follows that this conclusion was entirely 

 unwarranted. 



It seemed very probable that this last work of Diakonow- 

 led to incorrect results. The test carried out by Kostychev in 

 the year 1899^ showed in fact that Penicillium glauciim liberates 

 CO2 regularly on sugar solutions with oxygen excluded. This 

 suggested that the earlier experiments of Diakonow as well had 

 not been correctly carried out or interpreted. In the course of 

 time various kinds of studies appeared, the results of which 

 were really in favor of the theory of connection. To these 

 belong, among others, all those studies which prove that I/N 

 is constant under various conditions, particularly the results of 

 Chudiakow, Amm, Palladin and Morkowin^ already cited. 

 It is evident that from Diakonow's standpoint all these regu- 

 larities were nothing but chance agreements; a very improbable 

 explanation! On the other hand, the following interpretation 

 of these facts is clearly more significant in the light of Pfliiger's 

 theory. Influences which act on the first phases of the respira- 

 tory process must sway the whole process in the same direction. 



The discovery of zymase by E. and H. Buchner'' furnished 

 another important support to the theory of connection. 



' Dude. Flora. 92: 205. 1903. 



- Diakonow, N. loc. cil. 



3 Kostytschew, S. Arb. d. Naturf.-Ges. in Petersburg 30: 120. 1899. 



'Chudiakow, N. Landwirtschaftl. Jahrb. 23: 333. 1894; Amm. Jahrb. f. wiss. Bot. 

 25: I. 1893; Palladin, W. Rev. gen. de bot. 6: 201. 1894; Morkowin, N. Ber. d. bot. 

 Ges. 21 :j72. 1903. 



5 Buchner, E. Ber. d. chem. Ges. 30: 117, iioo. 1897; Buchner, E., H. Buchner and 

 M. Hahn. Die Zymasegarung. 1903. 



