From Francis Darwin [1 June 1876]1
Down, | Beckenham, Kent. | Railway Station | Orpington. S.E.R.
My dear Father
I have examined sections of Teazle in putrid meat infusion & in ammonia; and in both saw splendid protoplasmic movements, in about 8 glands altogether.2 The moving mass is always seated at the top of the gland, & when one can see accurately, exactly in the centre, where the radiating cells meet. I saw one most marvellous mass

In another what looked like a great sheet, coming exactly from the centre.

But it may have been only a rope both ends beginning at the centre There can be no doubt I hope now— it is most extraordinary & worth any amount of work My strong lens is ordered by Balfour3 I hear— He says the physiolog dinner “was a great success”.4 I hope you are getting rested.
My best love to old mother | Yrs affec | FD
Footnotes
Bibliography
Sharpey-Schafer, Edward Albert. 1927. History of the Physiological Society during its first fifty years, 1876–1926. London: Cambridge University Press.
Summary
Has examined sections of teasel in putrid meat infusion and ammonia.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-10515H
- From
- Francis Darwin
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- DAR 274.1: 4
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 10515H,” accessed on 26 September 2022, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-10515H.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 24