ERR SSeS 2h ela cm 
OPEN LETTERS. 
PROFESSOR W. PFEFFER AND THE ACTIVE ALBUMIN. 
THE recent publication of the second edition of Pfeffer’s Physiology of 
Planis in English* contains on pages 67—69 the same erroneous statements 
and ideas in regard to the active albumin studied by Bokorny and myself as 
does the original German edition published two years ago: which induces me 
to make the following remarks. 
ose who are particularly interested in the matter are referred to the 
protest I published two years ago under the title “Ueber Protoplasma und 
actives Eiweiss, zur Abwehr.”? I have since published an extensive descrip- 
tion of the chemically labile protein stored up as reserve material in many 
vegetable objects, a protein which easily changes chemically into an insoluble 
compound, and coagulates under the same conditions that cause the death of 
the protoplasm, although more slowly. This detailed account, the result of 
work through a long series of years, is contained in chapters nine and ten of 
my treatise ‘“‘ Die chemische Energie der lebenden Zellen.’’3 
Pfeffer has wrongly interpreted or apparently overlooked certain chem- 
ical phenomena. Pfeffer’s conscience seemed, however, to have dictated as 
a sort of excuse the following passage in the preface of his above mentioned 
work: “Still I am afraid that in spite of all my care much has been forgotten 
or overlooked, especially since, owing to the pressure of other duties, the 
time necessary for this work has been obtained with difficulty. This has 
rendered it impossible for me to study certain problems as deeply as I had 
wished.” —Oscar Low, Agricultural Department, Washington, D. C. 
- 
* PFEFFER, W.: The Physiology of Flants, translated by Alfred T. Ewart. Oxford. 
1900, i 
*Botanisches Centralblatt 74:5. 1898. 
_ _ $Miinchen, 1899, E. Wolff, publisher. In a more condensed form it w 
in London, 1896, under the title “The Energy of Living Protoplasm.’ 
Trench, Triibner & Co. 
as published 
Kegan Paul, 
1900] 
