﻿8S BOTANICAL GAZETTE [February 



I have intercalated this discussion at this point, in advance of 

 the evidence on which my opinions are partly based, in order 

 that the primary position of respiration in the plant's economy, 

 and its eminent fitness as a field of study in chemical irritability 

 might be clearly in mind. The importance of respiration will \ 



not be at all impaired if the view well maintained in animal 

 physiology by Loeb and others, which regards the energy rela- 

 tions characteristic of living things as electrical rather than 

 thermal, is found altogether correct. 



While there is an extensive literature on the influence on res- 

 piration of sugars and other substances which furnish the plant 

 with material to be oxidized, there has been surprisingly little 

 work done with chemicals acting primarily as stimulants. The 

 most considerable collection of such data is that of Jacobi, who 

 tested the effect of KNO3, KCl, NaCl, chinin, antipyrin, I, oxalic 

 acid, and CuSO^ on the respiration of Elodea and Myriophyllum. 

 Some of these substances were given but a single test, and none 

 of them were tried in any considerable range of concentrations. 

 Previous to Jacobi, Kellner3'' had found an acceleration in the 

 respiration of pea seedlings by treating them with KNO3, and 

 attributed it to direct oxidation by the O of the saltpeter. 

 Elfving,3' Lauren, 3^ Johannsen,33 and Morkowine,34 have demon- 



trated the acceleration of respiration by anesthetics. Morkowine ^s 

 has also extended Jacobi's work on the action of alkaloids. 

 Mayer3^ reports that HCN reduces the activity of respiration, as 



s^'Kellner, O., Ueber einige chemische Vorgange bei der Keimung von Pimm 



sativum, Landw. Versuchsst. 17:408. 1874. [Bot. Jahresb. 1:828, 1874]. 



s^Elfving, F., Ueber die Einwirkung von Aether und Chloroform auf die 

 Pflanzen. Finska Vetensk. Soc. Forh. 28 : 36, 1S86. I have not seen this paper. 



3= Lauren, W., Ueber den Einfluss von Aetherdampfen auf die Athmung von 

 Keimlingen. Helsingfors. Diss. 1891. [Bot. Jahresb. 20': 92. 1892.] 



33J0HANNSEN, W., Aether- und ChloroformnaTkose und deren Nachwirkungen, 

 Bot. Centralbl. 68:337-338. 1896. 



3-^ Morkowine, N., Recherches surTinfluence des anesthdsiques sur la respiration 

 des plantes. Rev. Gen. Bot. 11:289-352. 1899. 



35 Morkowine, N., Recherches sur Tinfiuence des alcaloides sur la respiration des 

 plantes. Rev. Gdn. Bot. 13 nog, 177, 212, 265. 1901. 



36 Mayer, Ad., Ueber den Einfluss der Blausaure auf Pflanzenathmung. Landw. 

 Versuchsst. 23:335. 1879. 



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