1918] 
BONNS—ETHERIZATION AND ENZYME ACTIVITY 227 
Siragusa (79), noting the effect of ether on various mani- 
festations of higher and lower plants, saw that the spon- 
taneous periodic opening and closing of flowers was inhibited 
in an atmosphere of that vapor. Arloing (779) substantiated 
the previous findings with respect to Mimosa. Macchiati 
(780) concluded that the inhibitory action of chloroform and 
ether upon stamen movements in Ruta and Smyrnium was due 
to the temperature reduction effected by the vapors, although 
Cugini (781) attempted to disprove this point by experiments 
with the same anaestheties under super-normal temperatures, 
to which Macchiati ('83) took exception. Tassi ('84, '87) 
followed with a study of the effect of volatile and non-volatile 
anaesthetics on cut flowers in conditions of diffuse light. He 
observed a paralyzing effect upon perianth movements. Tem- 
perature reduction apparently played no róle in explaining 
the results, since similar action occurred with the non-volatile 
substances. Macchiati (’84), however, endeavored to show 
that these results were open to question because of the use 
of anaesthetic dosages of lethal concentration. 
References to the effect of anaesthetics on special tropic 
response are not numerous. Molisch (’84) reported that the 
roots of maize seedlings were negatively tropic to atmos- 
pheres of nitrous oxide, chloroform, ether, and other vapors 
and gases. Czapek (’98) in his extensive study of geotropic 
stimuli found that chloroform in aqueous solution increased 
the geotropic induction time as well as the reaction time for 
roots of Vicia and Lupinus seedlings. Bertel (702) noted a 
geotropic after-effect of chloroform on the roots of Lupinus 
seedlings in the course of metabolism studies. Wachter (’05) 
reported what he designated as chemonastic response in the 
ease of Callisia repens where the leaves were made to droop 
notably as the result of exposure to ether, illuminating gas, 
and other gaseous atmospheres. 
Effect on microórganmisms. — The field of microbiology, 
using this term in a very general sense, has received some 
attention with respect to the effect of stimulants and anaes- 
thetics on functional and tactic responses. Thus Bernard 
(78) recorded the inhibition of dextrose fermentation by 
