PROGRESS OF VEGETABLE PHYSIOLOGY. 409 



*' The study of Vegetable Physiology advances with rapid steps, the 

 small number of its labourers annually increases, each year adds to the 

 importance of its results ; and we already look forward to the time when a 

 decided separation of vegetable physiology from descriptive botany must 

 take place, for it appears that these two sciences cannot simultaneously 

 be pursued by one and the same botanist to such an extent as the present 

 time demands. The number of anatomico-physiological publications of 

 the past year is extremely great ; and it is morpholog)'^ especially which 

 has engaged during that period the largv?st share of attention ; at present 

 a contest awaits it similar to that which previously vegetable anatomy had 

 to undergo, where not a single observation was admitted without opposi- 

 tion. So also morphology must not be the work of speculation, but 

 should be founded wholly and solely on the observation of nature ; studied 

 in this way, it will become a doctrine easy to comprehend, which will en- 

 large to a great extent our knowledge of the nature of plants. 



" From the active interest which has been taken in vegetable physiology, 

 and from the immense increase of materials, this report becomes from year 

 to year a more arduous undertaking ; as, however, it is of some utility for 

 the diffusion of the science, the reader will kindly overlook those faults 

 with which such a thankless task must always be accompanied. The in- 

 terest evinced with regard to these reports both in England and in France 

 by translations, as well as by the kind transmission of some memoirs, 

 which otherwise would not have come so early under our view, convinces 

 us that the naturalists of those countries will feel a greater desire to pos- 

 sess a more general knowledge of our very numerous German labours in 

 this branch of science, than heretofore." 



The first topic or which Prof. Meyen dilates is the series 

 of extraordinary speculations of Von Martins, on the souls 

 or spiritual life of plants. Here we have a specimen of that 

 deep and alluring mysticism which our German neighbours 

 are occasionally found mingling with rigid and demon- 

 strative science. Witness the published opinions of Oken, 

 Fries, Grots, Wagner, &c., or of Goldbeck, in his work on 

 '' The meaning of 0, or the first dawn of Light in the 

 horizon of Truth." But these speculations, however curious, 

 have perhaps too little practical interest for English readers 

 in general. 



The Professor next passes in review the researches of 

 Ohlert, on the naked spongioles terminating the fibrillae of 

 roots ; the researches of Dutrochet on Endosmose, and on 

 the circulation in Chara and Nitella ; and those of that very 

 talented and excellent phytologist. Prof. Morren, of Liege, 

 on the circulation of the sap in exogens. 



Dr. Schleiden's observations on the growth of plants in 

 water saturated with carbonic acid, are next discussed; 

 these deserve peculiar attention, as they may perchance throw 

 some light on the supposed paradox of seeds germinating 

 in mere inorganic powders moistened with water. 



The peculiarities of the vessels carrying milky sap, as in 

 Ficus, Eiipho7'hia, &c., are next discussed; and the micro- 

 scopic investigator will read a lesson of caution, froiri the 



Vol. IV.— No. 44. n. s. 3 k 



