48G 



ME. J. H. LAWKS. DB. GILBERT, AM) \>\i. I'll. II 



The investigations of Sch&nbeih and others appear to show that, under certain 



cumstances, nitric acid may be formed by the mutual action of Ozone and fret 



The question for our consideration here is. whether th< < rirenmstati ted 



in the cells of plants, and in the passages between them, during growth '. The subject of 



the relation of Ozone to organic matter is obviously too extensive for anything more 

 than a passing consideration here ; but \vc may refer to the well-known intense action 



of this peculiar body upon organic matter generally, by which carbonic acid is I 

 and the Ozone destroyed. It is well known that Ozone is rapidly di 1 if kept in 



contact with phosphorus or any other reducing substance. If such conditions for the 

 destruction of Ozone exist within the plant, the probability that it can there oxidate free 

 Nitrogen, and so form nitrates, would appear to be exceedingly small. The actual ( 

 ditions within the plant in regard to the points in question may be most efficit ntly 

 studied by the examination of the gases they contain, under various circumstance-. W< 

 proceed, therefore, to notice some of the results of such an examination. 



B. — Comjwsition of the Gas in Plants. 



Experiments, Series 1. 



Plants, or parts of plants, were put into a flask filled with water that had previously 

 been well boiled to remove all air from it A cork, through which a bent glass tube was 

 passed, was then pressed into the flask, so that the tube was filled with the displaced 

 water. The flask was then placed over a lamp, the water boiled, and the water and gas 

 driven over collected over mercury, the boiling being continued until the water distilled 

 over raised that first driven out with the gas to the boiling-point. The vapour thus 

 produced expelled most of the water collected over the mercury. In this way the gas 

 driven out from the plant at the boiling-point was obtained. The following Table (I.) 

 shows the composition of the gas collected under these circumstances. It is seen that 

 Nitrogen and Carbonic acid only were present. 



Table I. — Showing the Percentage Composition of the Gas evolved from plants. 



in water, on continued boiling. 



Other experiments gave similar results, all tending to show that the reducing power 



