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Be te ics ON SCIE ‘ae eas 107 
oe re ee, “a aN ne coh 
th 2 se ‘compounds, Fouad: in the Biaaee probably also forth i in it. As a rule, 
le plasma is to be found in the cells of the epidermis and we may therefore 
agi their content as being in the main a colloidal solution, in which under the 
Esp Sally these enzymes of the iene seem to be endowed with the power of plosine 
‘the ring and enlarging it. As manuring, 2. e. the supply of anorganic nutriment, does 
not raise the alcaloid content considerably, according to the experiments made up to 
now, it is probable that the metallions do not take part in the closing of the ring. 
ey evidently act an important part in the formation of aliphatic substances, as is 
icated by the comparatively high content of ashes in the leaves, a fact which has 
been sufficiently apprecicated as yet. That nitrogenous manure will often raise 
the content of alcaloids to double the quantity, e.g. with belladonna, is due to the 
g general increase of the assimilation of nitrogen through which more by-products will 
naturally be formed. 
_ Tschirch explains that, as only aliphatic substances can form in the assimilative 
1 pl rocess and only they can wander, the closing of the ring does not take place in the 
pecific assimilative tissue or the conveying system, but in the epidermis and in the 
tis ssues surrounding the ducts. The useless “splinters” are cleared out of the proper 
Z “washed ashore”, as Tschirch calls it, and consolidated and fixed in the non- 
onducting tissues by elie closing of the ring. | 
Tschirch denies that alcaloids, glucosides and colouring matter have the power 
Be psoving about, the same as he denied it for the secretions, in opposition to the 
iew of the French scientists’), who suppose that there is a moving from organ to 
rean, for instance with the components of the essential oils. They remain on the spot, 
where they have been formed, or are only quite exceptionally, in case of extreme need, 
con eyed back into the assimilative process. Young tissues being often richer in 
al caloids than old ones, and young shoots or germs richer than the seeds, is not 
‘caused by the alcaloids moving to these centres of assimilation, but by the “washing 
_ashore” being specially intense there. Tschirch does not go further into the question, 
4 as to whether the plant has another biological aim in the agglomeration of alcaloids, 
eet cosides and colouring matter in certain places but the simple removal of final 
_ products of the assimilative process. | 
2 _ He points out that the wax-covers as well as the cuticula, which both behave . 
I like secretions of the membrane, apparently only contain acyclic compounds, such as 
‘cerotinic acid, myricylic alcohol and cerylic alcohol. In addition to them, we find in 
ai cuticula aliphatic hydrocarbons (paraffins), which pass over when leaves and petals 
distilled in large quantities and then crystallize out of the distillate, such as the 
ss stearopten of otto of roses. We have to suppose that these aliphatic substances are 
f o1 ormed in the outer membrane of the epidermis cells, for they never occur in the 
contents of the epidermis cells. | 
& The more we penetrate into the constitution of vegetable matter, the more we 
fecognize that the means with which the plant works are really very simple and that 
the reactions can be reduced to a very few types. As an example, Tschirch mentions 
the well-known fact that the aliphatic system contained in geraniol closes to form the 
*. 
hhydroaromatic terpene nucleus and leads to the aromatic cymene with its many derivatives. 
>. . 
7 f 2) Tschirch apparently means the publications of E. Charabot, A. Hébert, G. Laloue and Roure-Bertrand 
Fils, discussed in our Reports. Comp. Reports April 1900, 50, 51; April 1905, 89, 90, 91; October 1905, 89; 
Apr 1906, 104; October 1906, 106; April 1907, 126; October 1908, 162, 163. 
