Royal Society. 379 



The author regards as wholly erroneous the notion which Dr. 

 Barry entertains that a fibre exists in the interior of the blood-cor- 

 puscle ; and that these fibres, after their escape from thence, consti- 

 tute the fibres which are formed by the consolidation of the fibrin 

 of the liquor sanguinis. The beaded aspect presented by the double 

 contour of the thick wall of the red corpuscle when it has been acted 

 upon either by mechanical causes or by chemical reagents, of which 

 the effect is to corrugate the edge, and to bend it alternately in op- 

 posite directions, has, in the opinion of the author, given rise to the 

 illusive appearance of an internal, annular fibre. The appearance 

 of flask-like vesicles presented by some of the red corpuscles, with 

 the alleged fibre protruding from their neck, the author ascribes 

 altogether to the effects of decomposition, which has altered the 

 mechanical properties of the corpuscle, and allowed it to be drawn 

 out, like any other viscid matter, into a thread. 



In conclusion, he remarks, that if these statements of Dr. Barry 

 should be recognised as fundamental errors in his premises, the 

 whole of the reasonings built upon them must fall to the ground. 



" Spermatozoa observed within the Mammiferous Ovum." By 

 Martin Barry, M.D., F.R.S. L. and Ed. 



In examining some ova of a rabbit, of twenty-four hours, the 

 author observed a number of spermatozoa in their interior. 



Dec. 15. — A paper was read, entitled " Experimental Inquiry into 

 the cause of the Ascent and Continued Motion of the Sap ; with a 

 new method of preparing plants for physiological investigations." 

 By George Rainey, Esq., M.R.C.S. Communicated bv P. M. Roget, 

 M.D., F.R.S. 



The ascent of the sap in vegetables has been generally ascribed 

 to a vital contraction either of the vessels or of the cells of the plant : 

 the circumstances of that ascent taking place chiefly at certain sea- 

 sons of the year, and of the quantity of fluid, and the velocity of its 

 motion being proportional to the development of those parts whose 

 functions are obviously vital, as the leaves and flowers, have been 

 regarded as conclusive against the truth of all theories which pro- 

 fessed to explain the phenomenon on purely mechanical principles. 

 The aim of the author, in the present paper, is to show that these 

 objections are not valid, and to prove, by a series of experiments, 

 that the motion of the sap is totally independent of any vital con- 

 tractions of the passages which transmit it ; that it is wholly a mecha- 

 nical process, resulting entirely from the operation of endosmose ; 

 and that it takes place even through those parts of a plant which 

 have been totally deprived of their vitality. 



The lower extremity of a branch of Valeriana rubra was placed, 

 soon after being gathered, into a solution of bichloride of mercury. 

 In a few hours a considerable quantity of this solution was absorbed, 

 and the whole plant, which had been previously somewhat shrunk 

 from the evaporation of its moisture, recovered its healthy appear- 

 ance. On the next day, although the lower portion of the branch had 

 lost its vitality, the leaves and all the parts of the plant into which 

 no bichloride had entered, but only the water of the solution, were 



2 C 2 



