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Notes on RapHIDES. 
By Epwin Lanxester, M.D., F.R.S. 
Tue term Raphides (from padgic, a needle) was first applied 
by De Candolle to certain needle-like crystals found in the 
tissues of plants. The term has since been extended by 
some writers to all crystals found in plants, whilst others, 
adhering to the etymology of the word, apply it only to 
erystals of an acicular form. Schleiden discards the word 
altogether, and perhaps it would be better to get rid of a 
term which has neither accuracy nor utility to recommend 
it. The discovery of crystals in plants is due to Malpighi, 
who first figured crystals found in a species of Opuntia in his 
‘Anatomy of Plants.’ The needle-like crystals were after- 
wards described by Rafn as occurring in the milky juice of 
the Euphorbiacee. Jurin found the same kind of crystals in 
the leaves of Leucojum verum.  Raspail was the first to 
demonstrate that many of these crystals were oxalate of 
lime—a fact that Scheele had demonstrated with regard to 
the crystals found in the roots of the common rhubarb. The 
most elaborate and complete paper on this subject was pub- 
lished by Edwin Quekett, and appeared in the appendix to 
the third edition of ‘ Lindley’s Introduction to Botany’ in 
1839. Since that time various observers have published 
observations on this subject. The late Professor John Quekett, 
in a paper in the ‘ Microscopical Transactions,’ showed that 
many of these crystals had an organic basis. Mr. Rainey, in 
his ‘ Researches on the Mineral Structure of Vegetable and 
Animal Cells, has contributed many observations on the 
presence of crystalline matters in vegetable cells. In the 
January number of the ‘Annals of Natural History,’ 
Professor Gulliver, in a paper “On the Raphides of British 
Plants,” says: “‘ It appears to me that these raphides are de- 
serving of more attention than they have yet received both in 
relation to the structure and economy of vegetables, and as 
affording a wide, interesting, and scarcely cultivated field of re- 
search for the chemical phytologist.” These raphides, he adds, 
“‘may also be often useful as diagnostic characters in systematic 
botany when others are not available; for example, a mere 
fragment of one of the Onagracee or of the Lemnacez may 
be so surely distinguished simply by its raphides from some of 
its near allies in other orders, that this fact ought henceforth 
to be added to the description of the orders just mentioned, 
independently of its value in other respects.” ‘Though com- 
VOL. Iil.—NEW SER. S 
