[Vor. 5 
286 ANNALS OF THE MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN 
to Cf and of E to Ef are not the same in the different sub- 
strates. In starch, C exceeds Cf, but is less than Cf in su- 
crose and maltose. Eis greater than Ef in starch and sucrose, 
but falls below Ef in maltose. There seems to be ground for 
the conclusion that the heating of a substrate containing the 
enzyme dispersion or the enzyme powder results in the intro- 
duction of a disturbing factor that gives inconcordant titra- 
tion values. On the other hand, the uniform relations between 
the respective figures for the substrates where the clear liquid 
was autoclaved lend support to the belief that the removal 
of the material containing the enzyme before the substrate is 
heated tends to eliminate or reduce such a factor of error. 
Considering the Cf and Ef data alone, therefore, it would 
appear that in the case of barley the effect of ether upon the 
germinating seeds is an inhibition of some of their hydrolytic 
activity, as expressed in terms of action upon an external sub- 
strate. This difference in enzyme activity conforms to the dif- 
ferences in growth noted in table v, where control seeds show 
greater growth than etherized ones. The results support the 
findings of Lintner and Króber (’95) and of Eisenberg (’07). 
CoNCLUSIONS 
The experiments here reported may be regarded as a pre- 
liminary study of the many questions involved in the prob- 
lem of anaesthetic action on enzyme activities in plants. The 
results obtained, although difficult to interpret satisfactorily 
in the case of some substrates,—notably the carbohydrates in 
the experiments with Gladiolus,—have pointed the way to 
improved methods of attack. Aside from the substrates just 
noted, definite results have been obtained with enzyme dis- 
persions acting upon protein and amido substances, and with 
catalase. The general conclusions appear warranted that 
tryptic or ereptic enzymes and an amidase were extracted, and 
that the activity of the dispersions containing these enzymes 
was in some instances stimulated as the result of etherization; 
in other cases, as with catalase and with the carbohydrases of 
germinating barley, the anaesthetic seems to have effected in- 
hibitory action. A very marked increase in action on aceta- 
