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INORGANIC SALTS TO MONILIA SITOPHILA 267 
toxicity of sodium chloride and zinc sulphate in the presence of 
small amounts of urea, alcohol, glycerine and cane sugar and con- 
cluded that these non-electrolytes do not influence the toxicity 
of either salt. The toxicity of zinc sulphate, however, was 
greatly reduced by cane sugar. This result Loeb attributed to 
the formation of zinc saccharate. Judging from what we know 
of the conditions under which saccharates are produced, we can 
hardly accept this explanation for the case of a dilute solution of 
zinc sulphate and cane sugar. Saccharates are obtained in 
strongly alkaline solutions. Dilute solutions of zinc sulphate are 
quite acid in reaction. I shall discuss this point further in con- 
nection with my own observations. 
Lidforss (16) had long before observed that the toxicity of 
calcium nitrate, sodium nitrate and sodium chloride for germinat- 
ing pollen grains was much reduced by the addition of ten per 
cent. of cane sugar to the solution. Wassermann and Takaki (33) 
found that an infusion made from cells of the central nervous 
system of the guinea-pig has an inhibiting action on the toxin 
of Bacillus Tetani. Like infusions made from kidney or liver cells 
did not counteract the poison. Loew (19) was not able to lessen 
the toxicity of magnesium salts for Spirogyra by the addition 
of methyl alcohol or glycerine to his solutions. Kahlenberg and 
True (13) claim that cane sugar has no effect on the toxicity of 
boric acid for Lupinus albus, but that the addition of dextrine to a 
mercuric chloride solution greatly reduces its toxicity. They 
were unable to precipitate mercuric oxide from such a solution by 
means of caustic alkali and assume that the mercury and dextrine 
combine to form a complex ion which is less toxic than the mercuric 
ion. Winogradsky and Omeliansky (36) found that peptone and 
glucose had an inhibiting action on the growth of the nitrifying 
bacteria. Duggar (6) obtained better germination of the uredo- 
Spores of Puccinia Helianthi in distilled water than in one per cent. 
Peptone solution. Stockard (31) reports that when cane sugar is 
added to a solution of lithium chloride or ammonium chloride 
the toxic action of these salts on Fundulus eggs seems to be 
augmented by the presence of the sugar, although the osmotic 
Pressure of the sugar-salt mixture is considerably below that of 
S€a-water. 
