Carbolic Acid.—Two leaves were immersed in sixty minims of a solution
of 1 gr. to 437 of water; in 7 hrs. one was slightly, and in 24 hrs.
both were closely, inflected, with a surprising amount of mucus
secreted. These leaves were washed and left for two days in water; they
remained inflected; most of their glands became pale, and they seemed
dead. This acid is poisonous, but does not act nearly so rapidly or
powerfully as might have been expected from its known destructive power
on the lowest organisms. Half-minims of the same solution were placed
on the discs of three leaves; after 24 hrs. no inflection of the outer
tentacles ensued, and when bits of meat were given them, they became
fairly well inflected. Again half-minims of a stronger solution, of one
part to 218 of water, were placed on the discs of three leaves; no
inflection of the outer tentacles ensued; bits of meat were then given
as before; one leaf alone became well inflected, the discal glands of
the other two appearing much injured and dry. We thus see that the
glands of the discs, after absorbing this acid, rarely transmit any
motor impulse to the outer tentacles; though these, when their own
glands absorb the acid, are strongly acted on.
Lactic Acid.—Three leaves were immersed in ninety minims of one part to
437 of water. After 48 m. there was no inflection, but the surrounding
fluid was coloured pink; after 8 hrs. 30 m. one leaf alone was a little
inflected, and almost all the glands on all three leaves were of a very
pale colour. The leaves were then washed and placed in a solution (1
gr. to 20 oz.) of phosphate of ammonia; after about 16 hrs. there was
only a trace of inflection. They were left in the phosphate for 48
hrs., and remained in the same state, with almost all their glands
discoloured. The protoplasm within the cells was not aggregated, except
in a very few tentacles, the glands of which were not much discoloured.
I believe, therefore, that almost all the glands and tentacles had been
killed by the acid so suddenly that hardly any inflection was caused.
Four leaves were next immersed in 120 minims of a weaker solution, of
one part to 875 of water; after 2 hrs. 30 m. the surrounding fluid was
quite pink; the glands were pale, but [page 194] there was no
inflection; after 7 hrs. 30 m. two of the leaves showed some
inflection, and the glands were almost white; after 21 hrs. two of the
leaves were considerably inflected, and a third slightly; most of the
glands were white, the others dark red. After 45 hrs. one leaf had
almost every tentacle inflected; a second a large number; the third and
fourth very few; almost all the glands were white, excepting those on
the discs of two of the leaves, and many of these were very dark red.
The leaves appeared dead. Hence lactic acid acts in a very peculiar
manner, causing inflection at an extraordinarily slow rate, and being
highly poisonous. Immersion in even weaker solutions, viz. of one part
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