To Francis Darwin [1 June 1876]1
[Hopedene, Surrey.]
My dear F.
I cannot help thinking of your discovery—if it proves so, but do not be too much disappointed if it fails—all day long.— It will be curious if the movements of the protoplasm depend on the excitement of ammonia or nitrogeneous matter.2 It will be very important to ascertain whether it can be withdrawn, or whether it oozes out through walls of cells & remains permanently extruded. Would an atom of acetic acid or alcohol or osmic acid cause withdrawal.
C. D.
Thursday—
Take care and do not overwork and kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.—
Footnotes
Summary
Comments on FD’s discovery – "if it so proves". It will be important to see whether the protoplasm oozes through the cell-walls [of Dipsacus] or whether it can be withdrawn.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-10525
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Francis Darwin
- Sent from
- unstated
- Source of text
- DAR 271.3: 15
- Physical description
- ALS 2pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 10525,” accessed on 14 September 2023, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-10525.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 24
