[Vor. 5 
250 ANNALS OF THE MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN 
Króber (795) noted a marked retardation of enzyme activity 
when chloroform was added to a mixture of maltose solution 
and yeast extract, less dextrose resulting in the same in- 
tervals from the etherized mixtures than from the controls. 
The studies of Puriewitsch (’97) were primarily concerned 
with the translocation of reserve food with relation to factors 
regulating osmotic action, but in connection therewith he 
noted that the presence of ether or chloroform caused inhi- 
bition of reserve-stuff movement, such movement being 
directly dependent on enzyme activity. 
Kaufmann (’03) found that trypsin solutions at concentra- 
tions greater than 2 per cent were not injured by a 24-hour 
action of chloroform or toluol, while weaker ones were af- 
fected, as shown by action on gelatin and on albumin and 
by decrease in enzyme concentration. Grober (’04) reported 
the injurious action of toluol and chloroform upon the enzymes 
in urine. Among several factors of environment and chem- 
ical content influencing the diastatic action in higher plants 
Eisenberg (’07) found that ether exerted a considerable in- 
fluence. Doses of 1-2 се. per 34 liters volume exerted an 
injurious action on the enzyme, and all concentrations used 
showed inhibitory effect. Butkewitsch (’08) noted that toluol 
and chloroform induced starch hydrolysis in bark and cortical 
tissues of twigs of Morus alba and Sophora japonica. Both 
the bark and an aqueous extract thereof inverted maltose, 
but an alcoholic extract did not. The effect of the antiseptics 
is regarded as analogous to that of low temperature in reduc- 
ing the activity of a starch-synthesizing enzyme. 
Carlson and Ryan (’08) showed that increase of diastatic 
concentration in the saliva of the cat resulted from general 
ether anaesthesia, while Carlson and Luckhardt (’08) found 
under like conditions there resulted a slight decrease in the 
blood diastase of animals. Apsit and Gain (’09) reported 
that wheat seedlings killed by sulphuric ether retained their 
diastatie activities. Müller-Thurgau and Schneider-Orelli 
(710) ascribed to ether but little action on the processes 
concerned in the conversion of sugar in stored pota- 
toes. Howard, in his periodicity studies already referred 
