W. J. V. OSTERHOUT 3 



Loeb and Wasteneys" pointed out that Warburg's interpretation 

 of his results is of doubtful value, owing to complications introduced 

 by the addition of NaCN. In experiments on the fertilized egg of 

 Arhacia Loeb and Wasteneys^ found that there was no increase 

 in the consumption of oxygen in a solution of NaCl (without NaCN) 

 even when due allowance was made for the percentage of eggs killed 

 by the action of the solution. In NaCl + KCl the eggs consumed 

 approximately the normal amount of oxygen^ and the addition of 

 Ca was practically without effect. 



Meyerhof^ repeated Warburg's experiments on Strongylocentrotus, 

 using a solution of NaCl (without NaCN) and making determinations 

 after 12, 15, or 20 minutes, during which short periods Kttle injury 

 occurs. He found that the consumption of oxygen was from two 

 to four times as great as in sea water. The addition of CaCl2 re- 

 duced the consumption of oxygen to the normal. The addition of 

 KCl to NaCl had practically no effect. 



Similar experiments have apparently not been performed upon 

 plants. 



The investigations thus far completed in the writer's laboratory 

 show a much closer agreement with the results of Loeb and Wasteneys 

 in regard to NaCl than with those of Warburg and Meyerhof . They 

 also show pronounced antagonism between such substances as NaCl 

 and CaCU in their effect on respiration. 



Reports of some of these investigations will appear in the near 

 future. 



* Loeb, J., and Wasteneys, H., Biochem. Z., 1910, xxviii, 340; 1911, xxxi, 168. 

 "^ The experiment lasted an hour, during which time the solution has little in- 

 jurious action. 



* Meyerhof, 0., Biochem. Z., 1911, xxxiii, 291. 



