February 23, 1900.] 



SCIENCE. 



305 



are represented as having either a light- 

 colored point of growth (nucleus or hilum) 

 with alternate dark and light lamellae as 

 figured in Sach's works or having a dark 

 point of growth and alternate light and 

 dark lamellae as illustrated by Strasburger. 

 The appearance of the grain as given by 

 these and other writers is dependent upon 

 the view of the grain by the observer. In 

 focusing upon the top of the successive la- 

 mellae of the grain, one observes the view 

 as given by Strasburger ; whereas if one 

 brings the focus to the base of the lamellte 

 the appearance of the grain as given by 

 Sachs is observed. If we focus upon the 

 top of the various lamellae of the potato 

 starch grain, we find not only grayish and 

 light colored lamellae alternating with each 

 . other, but we find in the center of the gray- 

 ish colored zone at the point of growth a 

 much darker area. A layer having the 

 same appearance as this dark area is also 

 observed on the outside of one or more of 

 the grayish lamellae. The grayish and dark 

 colored layers, just referred to, have a red- 

 ish appearance, the dark colored layers be- 

 ing slightly bluish also. 



Upon treating the starch grains with an 

 aqueous solution of an aniline stain such as 

 safranin, gentian violet, etc., the stain is 

 apparently taken up by the darker lamellae, 

 i. e., when focusing upon the top of the 

 layers or lamellae. On the other hand on 

 treating the grains with chromic acid, cal- 

 cium nitrate, etc., or with water at differ- 

 ent temperatures for varying periods of 

 time, the characteristic sphero-crystalloidal 

 structure is brought out in the light lamellae, 

 i. e., when focusing on top of the layers or 

 lamellEC. 



We find further that the layers which do 

 not take up the aniline stains become blue 

 with iodine, whereas the alternating layers 

 are not at all affected apparently by this 

 reagent. It appears that the layers not af- 

 fected by iodine, but stained by the aniline 



colors, are rich in colloidal substances but 

 poor in crystalloidal materials. These cor- 

 respond to the cellulose layers of Nageli, 

 the farinose layers of von Mohl and the 

 ;?-amylose layers of Meyer. The layers 

 stained blue by iodine and not stained by 

 the aqueous aniline solutions, are poor in 

 colloidal substances but rich in crystalloidal 

 materials, these corresponding to the granu- 

 lose layers of Nageli and von Mohl and to 

 the a-amylose layers of Meyer. 



The toxic action of a series of Sodium Salts : 



Dr. Eodney H. Teue, Cambridge, Mass. 



(By invitation.) 



From experimental results worked out by 

 Drs. Kahlenberg and True, the latter for- 

 mulated the results presented under this 

 title. 



After studying the toxic action exerted 

 on roots of Lupinus alhus by a series of acids 

 and by their Na salts, in view of the ioniza- 

 tion of these compounds, an analysis of 

 their toxic action has been made into the 

 partial-toxicities due respectively to H ions, 

 anions and ionized molecules. In inorganic 

 acids of the type of HCl, the action of the 

 anions is so slight, relative to that of H 

 ions, as to be thrown into insignificance. 

 In the organic acids where ionization is 

 usually much less advanced, the predomi- 

 nance of the H eflfect is less marked. In 

 formic, salicylic, ortho-nitrobenzoic and 

 protocatechinic acids, the H ions exceed in 

 eflectiveness all other factors. In propionic, 

 butyric, gallic, cinnamic and hippuric acids 

 the action of the unionized molecules pre- 

 dominates over all other factors. In the 

 sodium salts where a greater degree of ion- 

 ization exists, a greatly diminished toxic 

 action is seen, due chiefly, apparently, to 

 the action of the anions. In carbolic acid 

 having its hydrogen in the hydroxy 1 ( — OH) 

 form as contrasted with the above or- 

 ganic acids in which it exists as carboxyl 

 ( — COOH) hydrogen, ionization is at a 



