1073 
Strychnine upon some Somatic Cells . 
cytoplasm after treatment with the stronger solutions. The experiment 
was then tried of first placing the roots in the above percentages of strychnine 
for 15 mins, or half an hour, and then transferring them to the alkaline 
strychnine solution. This was done on the supposition that it might be 
essential for the poison to secure a hold upon the tissue previous to the 
dissociating action of the alkali. Again, however, the results were nega¬ 
tive, and no physiological reaction of the tissue was observable other than 
the apparent increase of karyokinetic activity noted above. This method 
was therefore abandoned and attention concentrated upon ascertaining 
whether the poison had penetrated the roots. 
It was considered that whereas the experiments described above 
dealt essentially with static conditions, the introduction into the latter 
of a dynamic factor, such as transpiration, might yield more decisive results, 
the poison being sucked up forcibly through the roots. With this end 
in view water-cultures of the Pea were made, and on sufficient growth of 
stem and leaves to ensure the occurrence of transpiration, the intact plants 
were placed with their roots in solutions of strychnine ranging in percentage 
from 0-5 to 0*05 and 0*005 %• On removal of the plants from the poison 
after various periods of immersion (18, 20, 48 hrs.), the root-tips were 
fixed, either at once or after further cultivation in a salt solution, for micro¬ 
scopical examination ; the stems and leaves were extracted for strychnine. 
In fixing the plants in the poison care was taken to immerse the roots only 
to a point which left several inches below the hypocotyl exposed above the 
surface of the solution. The hypocotyl, cotyledons, and a couple of inches 
of root and stem below and above the latter, were coated with vaseline. 
The hypocotyl was then wrapped in soft asbestos and the plant inserted, by 
removal of a wedge, into the cork of the culture bottle as during cultivation. 
When the experiments were performed in an open glass, the mouth of the 
latter was covered with strong paper or thin macintosh. By this method 
the possibility of capillary movement of the solution up the outside of the 
roots and over the stem was obviated, and any strychnine found in the stems 
and leaves must therefore have reached the latter through the vascular tissue 
of the roots, after penetrating the outer cells. 
The extractions were made as follows: The plant was cut off above 
the vaselined area of the stem, chopped up, and extracted with alcohol 
at about 30°C. for several hours. The extract was then filtered off, and 
evaporated to dryness ; the residue picked up with water, neutralized, and 
shaken with ether after again filtering. The ether was evaporated and the 
small residue which remained tested for the presence of strychnine. The 
chemical tests used for detection of the latter were :— 
1. Mandeline’s reagent (a solution of vanadium chloride in strong 
sulphuric acid), giving a violet colour in the presence of strychnine, turning 
to cherry pink. 
