Summary

Reports that he has not received JSBS’s book on histology and physiology [Sanderson ed., Handbook for the physiological laboratory (1873)], which Edward Emmanuel Klein told CD’s son was to be sent. He asks for information so that he may thank Dr Klein. [Klein and Michael Foster were co-authors with JSBS.]

He has returned the Gazette to Dr T. L. Brunton. [See 8825.]

Summary

Wishes JSBS to look over an abstract of his Drosera experiments and to answer some questions on it.

Summary

Informs CD of the effects of certain salts and other chemicals on animals.

Comments on CD’s results with Drosera. Suggests some experiments.

Summary

Would welcome JSBS visit to discuss Drosera. Nitrogenous fluids can act as ferments only if they act merely by exciting molecular movement in adjoining molecules.

Glass and cotton excite movement and cause cell contents to change visibly. Huxley coming to see this phenomenon.

Studied effect of poisons 12 or 15 years ago to see whether the action was similar to that on nervous tissue.

Summary

Describes his recent work on Drosera digestion of organic materials, e.g., albumen and gelatin. Edward Frankland has given CD a rough test for pepsin. Some plant extracts cause as much inflection as meat. Has found some reversible inflection with heat and perhaps some heat rigor. Has measured the extreme sensitivity of Drosera with very dilute solution of ammonium phosphate.

Summary

A hasty answer to CD’s letter [8987] of 25 July. Mentions Dr Osler’s observations on behaviour of colourless blood corpuscles in solutions of sodium and potassium salts of same strength.

Summary

Answers CD’s questions of 25 July [8987] about temperatures at which cold-blooded animals are killed.

Doubts heat rigor was induced in Drosera. Gives his view of the relation of excitability to increase in temperature.

Suggests experiment to show that electrical changes in plant are the same as in animal muscle and nerve [see Insectivorous plants, p. 318].

Summary

Thinks it would be worth while testing for electrical changes in the leaves of insectivorous plants.

Summary

CD can provide leaves of Dionaea if JSBS wishes to investigate electric currents in them.

His experiments show that the digestive action of Drosera seems like that of true digestion.

Summary

Pleased JSBS has decided to work on Drosera; sends plants. Does not know whether thermo-electric pile could detect temperature change when leaves close.

CD’s experiment with very weak hydrochloric acid repeated with success: the plants digest albumen more quickly.

Summary

Thanks JSBS for telegraphing his results, which seem very remarkable; feels he should now try Drosera.

Summary

Very pleased at JSBS’s discovery ["On the electrical phenomena which accompany the contractions of the leaf of Dionaea muscipula", Rep. BAAS 43 (1873): 133].

Asks for pure animal substances [proteins] for Drosera experiments. His other sources have been T. L. Brunton, Edward Frankland, W. A. Miller (now dead), and Hoffmann of Berlin [A. W. von Hofmann?].

Summary

Hears from Frank [Darwin] that Drosera behaves perversely. Suggests that motor influence may move longitudinally away from the excited glands.

Summary

Suggests experiments on artificial digestion.

Summary

Frankland is sending JSBS organic acids for him to try artificial digestion. CD will send globulin and haemoglobin.

Summary

Sends the very little globulin and haemoglobin he has to be tested with artificial gastric juice. He could get more from Samuel William Moore. Perhaps T. L. Brunton knows about the digestion of chlorophyll by animals.