588 



j- Osmotic effects in the cell. 



The Origin of Osmotic Effects. III. — The Function of Hormones 

 in Stimulating Enzymic Change in Relation to Narcosis and 

 the Phenomena of Degenerative and Regenerative Change in 

 Living Structures. 



By Henry E. ArmstrojS^g, F.E.S., and E. Feankland Armstrong, Ph.D., D.Sc. 



(Received April 29— Read June 2, 1910.) 



[^International Catalogue of Scientific Literature. 

 Authors' title slips : — D, M, Q. 

 Subject slips :- 

 D 7155- 

 Q 0224. 



Q 0295 Action of anaesthetics in the cell. 



n 1 1 Hormones as stimulants of enzymic change. 



D 8030 Metabolism in the laurel leaf- under the influence of hormones. 

 M 3040 Influence of hormones on changes in the plant.] 



It is well known that a variety of substances will stimulate plant growth if 

 used in more or less minute proportions, although when used in excess they 

 are active anajsthetics ; the acceleration of the tlowering process in plants by 

 means of ether vapour is a familiar case in point ; animal as well as vegetable 

 tissues are intiuenced by such substances. So far as we are aware, no 

 analysis of either process — either of that of accelerated change or of that of 

 retarded change — hitherto attempted has been attended with results that are 

 in any way satisfactory ; the tendency has been to correlate all such mani- 

 festations vaguely with protoplasmic activity and to attach to them a vital 

 significance. The question we would raise is whether, in the'case of animals and 

 plants, protoplasm may not serve as an infinitely delicate indicator of change, 

 whether the effects observed be not often the outcome of changes initially 

 simple in themselves, that commonly escape detection because no proper 

 o])portunity is given of observing them. 



Our attention has been specially drawn to tliis subject by two striking 

 communications made to the French Academy of Sciences on July 12, 1909, 

 the one by (Juignard, the otlier l)y Mirande,* on the effect of chloi'oform and 



* ' Coni])t. Kend.,' HX)!), vol. 149, )). 91, L. (Juignard, " Influence de I'anesthcsio ot du 

 gel fiur lo dudoulilonicnt dc; <;ortains glucofjidcH cliez lea i)lanteH." 



Ibid., p. 140, Mai'col Mirande, " Influence oxerc6e par certainea vapeurs sur la 

 cyaiiogoneso v6gutalo. Proc6d6 rapide \w\ir la recherche des plantes k acide 

 cyaiihydriquo." 



Ihid., p. 829, E. Ilockcl, " Influence dcH aneath68i(|ueH sur les plantes a couniarine." 



