MICHIGAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 
131 
pounds are other substances of a different chemical nature showing 
antagonism. Lillie gives us a number of examples of antagonism be- 
tween salts and organic compounds such as make up the common anaes- 
thetics. Further, the antagonistic action of calcium on organic poisons 
has been shown for a number of living organisms by the work of Fulmer, 2 
fshizaka and Loewi, 3 Eisler and Portheim, 4 and Loening. 5 
For the literature on antagonisms between secretions, toxins and 
haemolysins, see T. P>. Robertson 6 . 
The recent investigations of Schreiner 7 * and his co-workers on 
the effects of nitrogeneous and other fertilizer elements on certain or- 
ganic compounds isolated from soils suggests the possibility that the 
ameliorated conditions obtained fall in line with results observed under 
the general head of antagonism. The fact that a culture solution in 
which wheat seedlings have grown is harmful to a second crop of 
wheat, but not injurious to some other species of plants may also be 
another instance of antagonism. 
It must be admitted that many cases of so-called antagonism are 
complicated by certain factors of nutrition, osmosis, ionization, surface 
tension, etc. So far, experiments in antagonism have dealt wholly or 
in part with substances used by the plant in the process of metabolism. 
This has lead to a just criticism, from such authorities as Loew and Aso s 
and it is further generally considered that the nutritive or stimulative 
effects may mask the toxic or antitoxic action. One would be justified 
in assuming that the better growth observed in some cases could be at- 
tributed to the nutritive effects of the substances which in balanced 
solutions according to Osterhout 9 enter the plant at a very much reduced 
rate and at what might be in some cases a nutritive ratio. 
Loeb and Lillie have added to the explanation of this phase of the 
problem by using one solution of the known nutrient with another solu- 
tion not normally used in nutrition. For example, Loeb 10 obtained 
antagonistic action with NaCI by the use of zinc salts, etc., while Lillie 
obtained his results by noting the effect of anaesthetics in various con- 
centrations of nutrient salts. 
In summarizing the previous work done on antagonism, one might 
point out that the solutions used by Loeb, 11 Osterhout 12 and Lillie 
were concentrated solutions of comparatively high osmotic pres- 
sure. How far these concentrated conditions effect ionization and the 
possible role of ionization, lias not yet been determined. Without ques- 
tioning the fact that calcium acts as an antagonist, many investigators, 
as has been said before, are using this element at a concentration which 
produces excellent growth of itself. In the work reported here, the 
author has used two known poisons and has been able to work at 
greater dilutions on account of their extreme toxicity. Neither of these 
substances is normally included in the plant metabolism. 
During the summer of 1912, the writer conducted some experiments 
2 Fuhner, Arch. Expt. Path. u. Pharmakol 1907, 58:1. 
*rshizaka and Loewi, Central!*, f. Physiol. 1905, 19:593. 
•‘Eisler and Portheim, Bioohem. Zeitschr. 1909, 21:59. 
5 Loening. Munehen med. Wochenschr. 1910, Nos. 4 and 5. 
c Ergeb. d. Physiol. 10, 1910, p. 216. 
7 Bull. of the Bur. of Soils, U. S. A. 
«Bul. Col. Agr. Tokyo Imp. Univ. (1907), 7:395. 
‘'Science N. S., Vol. 34, No. 867, p. 189. 
10 Amer. Jour. Physiol., 1902, 6:411-433. 
n Amer. Jour. Physiol., 1902, 6:411-433. 
» 2 Osterhout, W. J. V., Bot. C.az. 1906. 42:127-134 and Bot. Gaz. 1907, 44:259-272. 
