igiS] HARVEY— ETHYLENE 195 



traces of gaseous impurities. Leschtsch (22) studied the effect of 

 turpentine on protein metabolism in bulbs of Allium. An accelera- 

 tion of protein synthesis occurs in wounded bulbs, but the process 

 is further accelerated by small amounts of turpentine and hindered 

 by large amounts. Puriewitsch (27) noted that ether interfered 

 with the synthesis of starch. To account for this phenomenon 

 he assumed an increased rate of respiration, whereby the sugars 

 were used up. Butkewitsch (4) reports similar effects for toluol 

 and chloroform. Starch in the bark and wood of Morns and 

 Sophora was rapidly hydrolyzed. This hydrolysis cannot be 

 explained, he thinks, on the supposition of an increased respiration, 

 since sugars increase concomitantly with the decrease of starch. 

 Also, he points out the analogy between the effects of toluol and 

 chloroform and of low temperatures; both may be explained on 

 the basis of injury to the plastids. Reinhard and Stjschkoff (29) 

 determined the effects of several substances upon starch synthesis. 

 Ether seemed to act, not only as a hindrance to starch formation, 

 but also as an accelerator of hydrolysis. Antipyrin, morphine, and 

 caffein hindered, but urea and asparagin favored starch synthesis. 

 Similarly Deleano (6) observed a rapid destarching of leaves in 

 the presence of chloroform, a result apparently contradictory to 

 that reported by Czapek (5). Richter (30), working with illu- 

 minating gas, laboratory air, xylol, etc., and Grafe (8), with 

 formaldehyde, have shown that an accumulation of sugar is favored 

 by these substances. Armstrong and Armstrong (i) have 

 demonstrated that toluol, ether, chloroform, etc., cause an increase 

 of glucose and HCN in leaves of Primus lauro-cerasus, due to a 

 rapid splitting of the glucoside present. Hempel (ii) has made 

 a careful study of the effects of ether on seedlings of Pisum and 

 Lupin us with particular regard to the C0 2 output, and the changes 

 in the nitrogen compounds and sugars. Her results show that 

 ether effects are dependent upon the concentration. The normal 

 destruction of the proteins in germination was retarded by "weak" 

 doses (up to approximately 0.01 per cent by volume), but the 

 process was accelerated in strong doses. All concentrations inter- 

 fered with the inversion of sugars. Grafe and Richter (9) have 

 published an article on the effects of acetylene on the chemical 



