172 



THE ENERGY OF THE LIVING PROTOPLASM. 



energy; but at least with a certain sulpho-acid, the combination 

 of formic aldehyde with acid sodium sulphite, I succeeded in 

 effecting reduction ; for this in presence of sodium carbonate 

 yielded by moderately heating with platinum-black, small 

 quantities of sodium sulphide, iIf while the odour of methyl 

 mercaptan became perceptible. 



The katalytic action of platinum-black is manifested still 

 in another case of physiological interest. If moistened with 

 pure caustic lye and exposed to pure air it forms from nitrogen 

 and water nitrous acid and ammonia to a small extent. (2) Such 

 a process may take place when nitrogen is assimilated by legumi- 

 nous plants whose roots have entered into symbiosis with 

 certain bacteria. The reverse process can also be katalytically 

 accomplished ; (3) for a neutral solution of ammonium nitrite, 

 which is only decomposed by application of heat, will in presence 

 of platinum-black show a continuous development of nitrogen at 

 the ordinary temperature. A mixture of 6 g. ammonium sulphate 

 with its equivalent quantity of potassium nitrite dissolved in 

 130 cc. water developed after addition of 20 g. platinum-black in 

 24 hours 191 cc. nitrogen, and in 5 days as much as 768 cc, at 

 1 5 0 and 723 mm. barometric pressure. A similar process takes 

 place in cases of putrefaction when nitrates are present, where 

 the protoplasm of the bacteria present acts upon the nitrite 

 of ammonia formed and liberates nitrogen. 



In all the cases described here the platinum-black remains 

 exactly what it was ; it does not act by virtue of any chemical 

 affinities, but only by a specific mode of motion. Analogous to 

 this is the action of living protoplasm ; it remains what it is 

 while it produces various chemical changes in compounds that 

 come into contact with it. If it acted by means of chemical 

 affinities, it would undergo a change, and that would mean the 

 death of a cell when that change amounted to more than slight 

 traces in the unit of time. There can be no doubt that the 

 active principle is an intense and ceaseless motion of atoms intimately 



(1) We might express this result by the following equation : 



2 CH20II.S0 3 Na+4Na2C03=Na2S + S03Na2+HCOONa + 5NaHC03 

 Compare O. Loew, Ber. Deutsch. Chem. Ges. \»:{, 3125. 



(2) O. Locw, ibid. 23, 1443. 



(3) O. Loew, ibid. 3019. 



