1918] 
BONNS—ETHERIZATION AND ENZYME ACTIVITY 249 
retardation of metabolic and dependent processes, such as 
growth and germination. 
3. The toxic phase, resulting from prolonged exposure to 
large doses. 
EFFECT ON ENZYME ACTION 
The preceding topic has considered the effect of etheriza- 
tion on the metabolic processes induced by enzyme action. 
Another phase of the subject that has engaged the attention 
of investigators is the direct effect of narcotics upon the 
catalytic agent as studied in the laboratory. Miintz (’75) er- 
roneously attempted to distinguish between organic and in- 
organic fermentation phenomena by a difference in their be- 
havior with respect to chloroform,—the latter inhibiting 
organic but not inorganic fermentation (‘‘. . . sans influence 
sur les fermentations d’ordre chimique’’). Several decades 
later Detmer (’81) published a study of the effect of various 
substances on plant cells and their ferments; diastase action 
was studied in relation to its inhibition by various concentra- 
tions of solutions. Chloroformed seedlings were killed with- 
out inhibition of diastatic activity. In relation to the effect 
of external agents on enzyme action Detmer postulated four 
possible conditions: | 
1. Neither cell life nor enzyme activity is affected. 
2. Cells may be killed and enzyme activity inhibited. 
3. Cells may be killed and enzyme activity continued. 
4. Cells may not be killed and enzyme activity inhibited. 
His results led him to the conclusion that chloroform, among 
other substances, affected the protoplasm without bringing a 
direct chemical factor into play. 
Bertels (’92) reported that preparations of commercial 
pepsin suffered injury when subjected to the action of 
chloroform, while digestive extracts from freshly prepared 
mucosa of the pig’s stomach showed no such effect. Ether 
and chloroform, according to Fermi and Pernossi (’94), had 
different effects on trypsin and pepsin preparations; in 
chloroform they withstood a temperature of 80 degrees for 
1 hour, while in ether they suffered injury. Lintner and 
