1662 LOEW : PHFSIOLOaICAL ACTION CX 11.-Ph ysiological Action of AmidosuZphonic acid. By OscAit LOEW, Pb.D. AT the suggestion of my colleague, Dr. Edward Divers, I have made a, series of physiological tests on plants with amidosulphonic acid (amidosulphuric acid). This acid, in 0*05-0*1 per cent. solutions, was applied in the form of its calcium or sodium salt, either alone or in conjunction with mineral nutrient salts, namely, monopotassium phosphate, 0.05 per cent. ; magnesium sulphate, 0.05 per cent, ; calcium sulphate, 0.1 per cent.; and a trace of ferrous sulphate. These solutions (500 c.c.) were applied to the whole plants, or t o the branches and isolated leaves, of different families of the phEeno- gams ; also to algze, IoweP fungi, and lower aquatic animals.OF AMIDOSULPHONIC ACID.1663 The principal result, in regard to pbsenogams, was that amido- sulphonic acid has, even in its salts, a decidedly ~zoxious actioiz, clearly established by control experiments, made at the same time and on similar organisms, kept in water and in solutions of ammoninm sulphate and sodium sulphate. Some of the experiments mere the following : Young wheat plants, carefully taken from the field, 20-25 cm. high, were placed in three vessels, containing each 500 C.C. of ( a ) common water, ( t ) 0.1 per cent.\ of neutral ammonium sulphate, (c) 0.1 per cent. solution of sodium amidosulphonate. I n ( a j and ( 6 ) new rootlets gradually developed, but not in (c). After five days, withering of the leaves commenced in (c), and complete death had happened in nine days, whilst the plants in ( a ) and ( b ) mere still perfectly healthy.Young branches of Prunus Cernsus, 40 cm. long, were placed in the same solutions and also in 0.1 per cent. of hydrated sodium sulph- ate. After three days, brown spots had appeared upon all the leaves kept in the amidosulphonate, and, two days later, all these leaves were dried up, whilst in the control solutions the branches still remained healthy, and for a long time afterwards. Isolated leaves of Bscidus and Mows behaved in these solutions in the same way. Mr. Maeno made, under my supervision, further experiments with young plants of Alliurn Jistulosunz, Soja hispida, and Brassica Rupa, and in all these cases some noxious action of calcium amidosulphonate became evident.In these experiments, all the mineral nutrients were present. In contrast to what precedes, algse (Spirogyra Mesocu?-pus) had not suffered, even in a 1 per cent. solution of calcium amidosulphonate, after a week, whilst the ammonium salt killed them, in 0.5 per cent. solution, within two days.* That mould-fungi and bacteria can utilise amidosulphonic acid as a source of nitrogen was clearly established by their development in solutions containing 1 per cent. of cane sugar, 0.1 per cent.. of niono- potassium phosphate, 0.1 per cent. of magnesium sulphate, and, as the only source of nitrogen, 0.1 per cent. of amidosulphonic acid, either free or as calcium salt. Mr. Maeno studied the matter closely with beer yeast, and observed that, although the acid can be utilised as a source of nitrogen, it is not so good for the purpose as ammo- nium sulphate.10 C.C. of thin beer yeast, corresponding t o 0.0613 gram of dry matter, was suspended in a solution containing in 100 C.C. 6.856 grams of glucose, 0.1 gram of magnesium sulphate, 0.2 gram of monopotassium phosphate, an6 0.1 gram of sodium amidosulph- * All ammonium salts are, for these kinds of algee, noxious at this concentra- tion.1664 PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTION OF AMIDOSULPHONIC ACID. oiiate (A). In a second flask, (B), the last-mentioned salt was replaced by 0.1 gram of ammonium sulphate. After five days the yeast in (A) bad ipcrensed 169 per cent., and that in (B) 223 per cent., whilst of the glucose there had been fermented in (A) 48.8 per cent., and in (B) 55.2 per cent.Finally, it may be mentioned that on lower aquatic animals as Infusoria, Rotatoria, and Copepoda, calcium amidosulphonate, in 0.1 per cent. solution, had no noxious action. The poisoncus action of amidosulphonic acid on phaenogams is of considerable interest. Ammonia, in its salts, acts noxiously also, but only in higher concentration; it never is stored up as snch in plants, as nitrates are, but is quickly converted into an indifferent substance, asparagine, as the recent investigations of Kinoshita and Suzuki, in the College of Agriculture, T6ky6, have placed beyond doubt. It is the failure of the plants to convert amidosulphonic acid into an analogous indifferent substance that, perhaps, gives time for the gradual action of the labile amido-group on the living protoplasm.The poisonous action of the labile amido-groups in hydroxylamine and diamidogen for the most varied organisms is well known. The fact that amidosulphonates are poisonous neither for lower plants like algae and low fungi, nor for animals (see t,he ADDENDA to this paper), still needs an explanation that shall be perfectly satisfactory. The corresponding carbamic acid was found by Nencki to have a poisonoils effect on animals. Imperial University , Japan. ADDENDA, by EDWARD DIVERS. Further experiments on the physio- logical action of amidosulphonic acid are i n progress in Dr. Loew’s laboratory in the Agricultural College of the University, the results of which will appear in the Bulletin of the College. When the above paper was written, the fact had not been ascertained that amidosulphonic acid acts as a reducing agent on alkaline silver solutions, apparently becoming oxidised to water, nitrogen, and sulphite. This reducing power brings i t into association with hydroxylamine, hydrazine, and amidogen, which Dr. Loew has shown to be so highly poisonous ; though only remotely, because its reducing power is so feeble, as compared with theirs. The simultaneous generation of sulphite should add to its poisonous action. Professor D. Takahashi, of the Msdical College of this University, has examined the action of sodium amidosulphonate on vertebrate animals, and has kindly communicated his results t o me. HE injected 0.2 gram of it subcutaneously into a frog, and intravenouslyPREPARATION OF HTDROSYLAMINE SULPHATE. 16 G5 1.4 grams into a young dog weighing 2 kilos., in both cases without an injurious effect or any symptoms like those observed by Nencki in experiments with sodium carbamate. Amidosulphonates, there- fore, seem not to be poisonous t o animals.