78 



one salt to the other varies .vith the concentrations of 

 the toxic salt. 



A consideration of the toxic stimulation of the 

 single salts as "brought out in this Investigation suggests 

 that the influence of the salts upon the protoplasm of the 

 spore is specific, at least in certain cases. The nitrates 

 of lead and aluminum, in cencentrations somewhat below 

 those which inhibit germination, frequently cause ( either 

 directly or indirectly ) in the spore a dark chlamydospore- 

 like bodj. The presence of copper at a similar concentration 

 as regards toxicity causes a granular appearance of the 

 protoplasm. Much the same effect was observed in concentra- 

 tions of nickel nitrate not quite strong enough to inhibit 

 germination. Toxic concentrations of Zn(NC3)2, however, 

 fail to produce any visible alteration in the protoplasm. 

 If then the effects of the different salts on the spores 

 are not the same it would seem reasonable to consider that 

 the requisite antidote might not be identical in all cases; 

 a substance which inhibited the poisonous effects of one 

 toxic salt might have no influence upon the toxicity of 

 another. This may be the reason that neither calcium or 

 magnesium nitrate has any apparent influence upon the 

 toxic effect of aluminum nitrate. 



It is useless, however, to attempt to draw conclus- 

 ions as to the dynamics of these antagonistic salt actions. 



