316 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [OCTOBER 
doubled the CO, production, while 16 cc. in the same volume was less effective. 
Neither increased the output from killed bulbs. Ether gave little stimula- 
tion in the living bulbs of Gladiolus Colvillii and Allium Cepa, while it cut 
greatly the output from dead tissues. Arbutin (1 and 2 per cent) reduced 
considerably the CO, yield from live wheat seedlings, and very markedly that 
from killed ones. Pattaptn finds that the stimulative or inhibitory effect 
of poisons on the living tissues was not accompanied by an increase or decrease 
in peroxidase, but the decreased output from dead tissues was accompanied 
by a decrease in peroxidase. The stimulatory effect of poisons gradually 
disappears and toxic results soon set in if the surrounding atmosphere is dis- 
d 
poisons. e author believes that the increased CO, output in the living 
tissues is a result of their battling against the poison, and that the ability to 
do battle is lost with death or with unfavorable life conditions. He concludes 
that the action of poisons on the respiration of dead tissues is a direct result of 
injury to the respiratory ‘enzymes, while their action on living plants is indirect 
through the living protoplasm. 
PALLADIN believes that the increased respiration is due to an increased 
transformation of the zymogens to active enzymes, which is also accompanied 
by an increased destruction of the active enzymes. For this reason the stimu- 
lated plant shows no increase in active enzymes over the control. One feels 
that this conclusion is not sufficiently backed by evidence. 
PaLtaprn® has also attempted to ascertain the effect of contained lipoids 
upon the respiration of plant tissues. This he did by extracting dried wheat 
seedlings for two hours with various lipoid solvents (toluol acetone, benzen, 
chloroform, benzin, alcohol, etc.). In general he finds that the more lipoid 
and therefore phosphorus-containing material the solvent extracts, the more 
it reduces respiration. He believes this is related to the important role of 
phosphates in zymase action. He finds, however, that the amount of reduc- 
tion in respiration is not exactly proportional to the amount of lipoid extracted. 
He explains this in part by the fact that different solvents will extract not only 
different amounts, but different sorts of lipoids. In substance he also says: 
“When we separate the lipoids we destroy the normal protoplasmic structure. 
We separate from the protoplasm the cement which binds its heterogeneous 
parts into a whole. I have shown that even the mechanical breaking UP a 
the plasma structure reduces very markedly the respiration of the plant Sanur 
He points out various other means through which these solvents may affect 
the respiration, such as the coagulation by alcohol. With other authors, he 
believes the lipoids are to be considered intermediary bodies in respiratio™ 
that is, oxygen-carriers. He would list them with his respiratory chromo” 
gens. One gets the impression that PaLLapIN feels himself much more sect’ 
than he should when treading on such uncertain ground. 
6 Paxzapi, W., Zur Physiologie der Lipoide. Ber. Deutsch. Bot. Gesell 
28:120-125. 1910. 
. 
