1910] STOCK BERGER—TOXIC SOLUTIONS AND MITOSIS 417 
the nuclei in the binucleate cells had fused. The experiments here 
described furnish no support to this theory of nuclear fusion, since 
no cells were observed that contained more than one nucleus. Occa- 
sionally, through failure of the nuclear plate, cells appeared to contain 
two nuclei, but. these daughter nuclei were never fully reconstituted, 
and the cells were degenerating. 
The stronger copper solutions inhibited mitosis, disorganized the 
spindle fibers or interrupted their formation, arrested the develop- 
ment of the cell plate, and produced large vacuoles in the cytoplasm. 
The same effects were produced in the controls in distilled water, 
though to a less marked degree, and after a longer period of exposure. 
There were no abnormalities in the controls grown in sphagnum. 
THE ACTION OF PHENOL 
In studying the action of phenol a normal solution was prepared, 
and various dilutions were made therefrom in the course of the 
experiment. Controls were grown in moist sphagnum and in dis- 
tilled water. The continuous action of phenol was observed in n/94 
and 7/188 solutions, respectively. Solutions of 10/94, 5/94, and 
1/ 188 normal were allowed to act on radicles for 20 minutes, after 
which they were placed in distilled water and material killed and 
fixed therefrom at intervals of 4, 21,and 45 hours. Material from the 
controls received parallel preparation. In the microscopical examina- 
tion of the toxicated root tips no unusual structure or condition was 
considered as due to the action of the phenol until careful search had 
shown that its equivalent did not exist in the controls. 
The continuous action of a 2/94 solution of phenol for four hours 
Seriously injured both the cytoplasm, which showed numerous small 
vacuoles, and the achromatic portion of thenucleus. Numerous spireme 
nuclei were observed, many of which were much enlarged and irregu- 
larly distended apparently by a great increase in the amount of nuclear 
Sap within them. Occasionally these enlarged spireme nuclei were 
laterally indented by the formation of a dense plasma mass at one 
Side (fig. 7a). These nuclei very much resembled those described 
by Nemec (22) as formed under the influence of chloral, of which he 
Says: “In einiger Zellen giebt es mehr oder weniger tief eingeschniirte 
Kerne.” At this point the resemblance ceases, and no support can 
