Studies in Stomatal Behaviour: VII. EFFECTS OF ANAEROBIC CONDITIONS UPON STOMATAL MOVEMENT--A TEST OF WILLIAMS'S HYPOTHESIS OF STOMATAL MECHANISM

An experiment was carried out to investigate stomatal responsesin wheat to four ‘closing treatments’, viz. highcarbon dioxide concentration, darkness, dry air and nil, eachgiven under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Thus theeffect of lack of oxygen on the closing (or opening) tendencywas estimated. Changes in calculated from resistance porometer readings were used as data and reasonsare given for thinking this is the best available measure forinvestigating stomatal dynamics in wheat. Williams's hypothesisdemands that lack of oxygen should cause stomatal opening orprevent closure; the present experiment shows that anaerobicconditions significantly increase the closing tendency when‘closing treatments’ are first applied. There isalso some suggestion that oxygen-lack itself tends to causeclosure in the absence of any other ‘closing treatment’.Williams's hypothesis in its original form is thus disproved(for wheat) but the present results would be consistent withan ‘active’ uptake of water by the guard cells contributingto stomatal opening. A nearly significant interaction betweencarbon dioxide and oxygen suggests that under anaerobic conditionsa ‘closing substance’ may perhaps be formed, forexample, by the union of some intermediate in glycolysis withcarbon dioxide.     

Coexistent coccidioidomycosis of the meninges and pulmonary cavitation due to Coccidioides

A clinical study was undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of concentrated cabbage juice in the treatment of peptic ulcers. Patients at San Quentin Prison with a diagnosed ulcer crater were treated in a double blind control experiment. They were given either concentrated cabbage juice or placebo facsimile. The evaluation of the merit of this treatment was based upon repeated x-ray examinations of the ulcer crater. A period of 22 days was allowed for ulcer crater healing time. The results of this experiment indicated concentrated cabbage juice to be effective in healing of peptic ulcer.