Physical Aspects of Protoplasmic Streaming 241 



piston with its individual frequency makes its own contribution, is 

 not a simple harmonic function of time. The balance-pressure 

 under such conditions, when plotted against time, will produce wave 

 patterns similar to those revealed by dynamoplasmograms. The 

 wave patterns depend upon pulsating frequencies and phases of 

 these individual pistons, and also upon the capacity of a stroke of 

 each piston which represents the amplitude of that component. 



It is self-evident that in a plasmodium the mechanism responsible 

 for protoplasmic flow has nothing to do with a pulsating mechanism 

 of pistons. The above models are presented as possible imaginary 

 machines which will produce, when suitably operated, a wave pat- 

 tern of the balance-pressure similar to that of the dynamoplasmo- 

 gram. For simplicity's sake, the factor of polarity, which is involved 

 to a greater or lesser extent in a plasmodium, is not taken account 

 of in these models. But the concept of intraplasviic interference of 

 component rhythms will be understood by such simple models. 

 Only as to the rhythmic character of the motive force are slime mold 

 protoplasm and the models illustrated in the above figures compar- 

 able. 



XI. REACTION OF PROTOPLASM AS REVEALED BY THE 

 DYNAMOPLASMOGRAM 



The experimental data obtained from the present investigation 

 are all concerned with normal protoplasm. The results of the experi- 

 ments show that the dynamoplasmograms are of divergent patterns 

 and change from time to time in the same plasmodium under the 

 same external conditions. 



Despite variability in the pattern of the normal dynamoplasmo- 

 gram, it reveals much about the physiological conditions of patho- 

 logical protoplasm. Plasmodia treated with certain artificial agents, 

 such as anesthetics — this can be done by using a special double 

 chamber having four taps — show very peculiar dynamoplasmogram 

 patterns. Change in amplitude, wave length and wave form is often 

 characteristic of the treatment. Just as the heart specialist can learn 

 from the pattern of electrocardiograms more about the heart and 

 circulatory system than he can determine by any other method of 

 diagnosis, so the protoplasmologist will learn more about the proto- 

 plasmic mechanism from pathological patterns of dynamoplasmo- 

 grams than he can determine by microscopic observation. A better 

 understanding of the general characteristics of protoplasmic reac- 

 tions is to be had from a comparative study of dynamoplasmograms. 



