822 Stoward’—-Amy loc las tic Secretory Capacities of the 
this diffusing from the chloroformed and killed tissue attacks the starch 
grains placed at its disposal. 
The evidence adduced by Brown and Morris therefore is valueless 
as a proof of the non-possession of an amyloclastic secretory capacity by 
the aleurone layer. 
The experimental data given in the following table furnish additional 
evidence on this important point. 
TABLE X. 
Cultures of Aleurone Layers on 5 % Gelatine-Mineral Salts 
in the Presence of (i) Nitrobenzene, (2) Chloroform. 
Chilian barley : seeds steeped successively in absolute alcohol and water; 48 hours in each 
reagent. Culture period, 7 days. 
Exp. Objects. 
Anaesthetic 
reagent. 
Amylase per 20 objects per hour 
Equivalent to mg. of Cu ) in :— 
Medium. Objects. Total. 
1. 10 aleurone layers Chloroform 1 1160 105 1265 
2. ,, ,, Nitrobenzene 1202 85 1287 
Amylase initially present in 20 aleurone layers . . . 675 
When fragments of aleurone layer are removed from steeped seeds 
(loss of amylase during steeping is thereby eliminated), and at once placed 
on the surface of gelatine media with which are mingled copious amounts of 
chloroform or nitrobenzene, there are found, just as in experiments with 
similarly prepared and similar fragments of aleurone layers, considerable 
quantities of amylase in both medium and objects. Apparently, then, the 
fragments of aleurone layer are either non-living, or if living, these anti¬ 
septics behave in an anomalous manner. 
Neither alternative, however, is correct. Under the conditions selected, 
although secretion of amylase apparently takes place, it occurs prior to the 
complete annihilation of the secretory mechanism. The amylase found 
quantitatively in medium and objects on comparison with that found in experi¬ 
ments on gelatine media without the addition of an antiseptic (compare 
experiments, Table VIII) is observed to have undergone marked reduction 
in amount. As a result of the influence of the antiseptic the augmentative 
capacity of the tissue falls. The amounts of amylase found represent the 
amounts of amylase pre-existent in and secreted by the tissue prior to the 
complete cessation of the activities of the secretory mechanism. The com¬ 
paratively large amounts of enzyme are probably due to the fact that the 
action of the antiseptic is not abrupt because of the resistance to its rapid 
entry offered by the highly cuticularized cell-walls of this tissue. 
1 Chloroform renewed daily; both cultures remained absolutely sterile throughout the course of 
the experiment. 
It is to be noted in these experiments that at least two different anaesthetic agents have been 
employed. 
