Glycerine.—Half-minims were placed on the discs of three leaves: in 2
hrs. some of the outer tentacles were irregularly inflected; and in 19
hrs. the leaves were flaccid and apparently dead; the glands which had
touched the glycerine were colourless. Minute drops (about 1/20 of a
minim) were applied to the glands of several tentacles, and in a few
minutes these moved and soon reached the centre. Similar drops of a
mixture of four dropped drops to 1 oz. of water were likewise applied
to several glands; but only a few of the tentacles moved, and these
very slowly and slightly. Half-minims of this same mixture placed on
the discs of some leaves caused, to my surprise, no inflection in the
course of 48 hrs. Bits of meat were then given them, and next day they
were well inflected; notwithstanding that some of the discal glands had
been rendered almost colourless. Two leaves were immersed in the same
mixture, but only for 4 hrs.; they were not inflected, and on being
afterwards left for 2 hrs. 30 m. in a solution (1 gr. to 1 oz.) of
carbonate of ammonia, their glands were blackened, their tentacles
inflected, and the protoplasm within their cells aggregated. It appears
[page 213] from these facts that a mixture of four drops of glycerine
to an ounce of water is not poisonous, and excites very little
inflection; but that pure glycerine is poisonous, and if applied in
very minute quantities to the glands of the outer tentacles causes
their inflection.
The Effects of Immersion in Water and in various Solutions on the
subsequent Action of Phosphate and Carbonate of Ammonia.—We have seen
in the third and seventh chapters that immersion in distilled water
causes after a time some degree of aggregation of the protoplasm, and a
moderate amount of inflection, especially in the case of plants which
have been kept at a rather high temperature. Water does not excite a
copious secretion of mucus. We have here to consider the effects of
immersion in various fluids on the subsequent action of salts of
ammonia and other stimulants. Four leaves which had been left for 24
hrs. in water were given bits of meat, but did not clasp them. Ten
leaves, after a similar immersion, were left for 24 hrs. in a powerful
solution (1 gr. to 20 oz.) of phosphate of ammonia, and only one showed
even a trace of inflection. Three of these leaves, on being left for an
additional day in the solution, still remained quite unaffected. When,
however, some of these leaves, which had been first immersed in water
for 24 hrs., and then in the phosphate for 24 hrs. were placed in a
solution of carbonate of ammonia (one part to 218 of water), the
protoplasm in the cells of the tentacles became in a few hours strongly
aggregated, showing that this salt had been absorbed and taken effect.
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