Two leaves were exposed for 30 m. in a 2-oz: vessel to the vapour of 30
minims (1.774 ml.) of sulphuric ether. One leaf closed after a time, as
did the other whilst being removed from the vessel without being
touched. Both leaves were greatly injured. Another leaf, exposed for 20
m. to 15 minims of ether, closed its lobes to a certain extent, and the
sensitive filaments were now quite insensible. After 24 hrs. this leaf
recovered its sensibility, but was still rather torpid. A leaf exposed
in a large bottle for only 3 m. to ten drops was rendered insensible.
After 52 m. it recovered its sensibility, and when one of the filaments
was touched, the lobes closed. It began [page 305] to reopen after 20
hrs. Lastly another leaf was exposed for 4 m. to only four drops of the
ether; it was rendered insensible, and did not close when its filaments
were repeatedly touched, but closed when the end of the open leaf was
cut off. This shows either that the internal parts had not been
rendered insensible, or that an incision is a more powerful stimulus
than repeated touches on the filaments. Whether the larger doses of
chloroform and ether, which caused the leaves to close slowly, acted on
the sensitive filaments or on the leaf itself, I do not know.
Cyanide of potassium, when left in a bottle, generates prussic or
hydrocyanic acid. A leaf was exposed for 1 hr. 35 m. to the vapour thus
formed; and the glands became within this time so colourless and
shrunken as to be scarcely visible, and I at first thought that they
had all dropped off. The leaf was not rendered insensible; for as soon
as one of the filaments was touched it closed. It had, however,
suffered, for it did not reopen until nearly two days had passed, and
was not even then in the least sensitive. After an additional day it
recovered its powers, and closed on being touched and subsequently
reopened. Another leaf behaved in nearly the same manner after a
shorter exposure to this vapour.]
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