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the tentacles, partly upon the circumstance that the time varies, which has elapsed 

 since the tentacles last were in function. Without taking any stand-point with 

 regard to the modus operandi of the ether he quotes the general theory that the 

 action of ether and chloroform on animals and plants is due to the fact of the 

 oxydation heing stopped [". . . . that with animals and plants these vapours act by 

 arresting 'oxydation p. 228"] [Ch. Darwin 1875, p. 199 ff.]. Kühne examined the 

 eflect of etherization on Myxomycètes and found that they lose their power of 

 locomotion in an atmosphere of ether; if only exposed for a short time they 

 regained their power of locomotion when transferred to normal conditions; if they 

 were exposed 5 minutes or more they permanently lost their power of locomo- 

 tion and the protoplasme coagulated [Kühne 1864, p. 85]. Also Elfving examined 

 the influence of the ethernarcotization on micro-organismes. For his experiments 

 he used Chlamydomonas pulvisculus and saw that an adequate dose of ether 

 makes these organismes positive heliotropic in sunshine though they are normally 

 negative heliotropic, and further that they will become positive heliotropic in a 

 light which is so weak that they normally are not influenced by it. In Mnium 

 and Mesocarpus he observed that ether will prevent the chloroplastids placing them- 

 selves in profile position in intense sunshine [Elfving 1876, p. 12 — 16]. Rothert has 

 shown that the irritability of several micro-organismes may be eleminated by ether 

 while their power of locomotion is not affected by the process; in other micro- 

 organismes he succeeded in arresting their power of locomotion without aff'ecting 

 their irritability; and in others he succeeded in arresting power of locomotion as 

 well as irritability. Hence he concluded that power of locomotion and irritability 

 are quite independent of each other, a theory which is also supported by the 

 circumstance that the anaesthetic eff"ect of the ether on micro-organismes is quite 

 independent of the time of exposure while the effect of ether on the power of 

 locomotion depends in great measure on the latter [Rothert 1903, p. 1 — 70]. Czapek 

 has shown by experiments with radicles of Vicia faba and Lupinus albus that 

 narcotization with chloroform increases the length of the geotropic induction-period 

 by several hours and also that the time of reaction is greatly increased. The most 

 concentrated solution of chloroform which the plants can stand without being 

 killed prevents the reaction taking place while the power of perception is only 

 diminished [Czapek, 1898 p. 199]. 



With regard to the influence of narcotics on the growth of the plants the follow- 

 ing is known: 



Elfving noted that ether produces a retardation or a cessation of the growth 

 of Phycomyces nitens; in normal atmosphere the growth is resumed [Elfving 1886, 

 p. 11]. Claude Bernard [loc. cit. p. 268] and shortly after Siragusa [Siragusa 1879], 

 also Detmer [Detmer 1882, p. 227] and Raphael Dubois [Dubois 1891, p. 561—567] 

 noted that ether retards growth of seedlings and prevents the germination of seeds. 

 When the eth.er is withdrawn the growth and germination are resumed. Townsend 



