Chap. VL DIGESTION. 85 



CHAPTER YI. 



The Digestive Power of the Secretion of Drosera. 



The secretion rendered acid by the direct and indirect excitement of 

 the glands — Nature of the acid — Digestible substances — Albu- 

 men, its digestion arrested by alkalies, recommences by the addi- 

 tion of an acid — Meat — Fibrin — Syntonin — Areolar tissue — 

 Cartilage — Fibro-cartilage — Bone — EQamel and dentine — Phos- 

 phate of lime — Fibrous basis of bone — Gelatine — Chondrin — 

 Milk, casein and cheese — Gluten — Legumin — Pollen — Globulin 

 — Hsematin — Indigestible substances — Epidermic productions — 

 Fibro-elastic tissue — Mucin — Pepsin — Urea — Chitine — Cellu- 

 lose — Gun-cotton — Chlorophyll — Fat and oil — Starch — Action 

 of the secretion on living seeds — Summary and concluding 

 remarks. 



As we have seen that nitrogenous fluids act very 

 differently on the leaves of Drosera from non-nitro- 

 genous fluids, and as the leaves remain clasped for a 

 much longer time over various organic bodies than 

 over inorganic bodies, such as bits of glass, cinder, 

 wood, &c., it becomes an interesting inquiry, whether 

 they can only absorb matter already in solution, or 

 render it soluble, — that is, have the power of digestion. 

 We shall immediately see that they^ certainly have this 

 power, and that they act on albuminous compounds in 

 exactly the same manner as does the gastric juice of 

 mammals ; the digested matter being afterwards ab- 

 sorbed. This fact, which will be clearly proved, is a 

 wonderful one in the physiology of plants. I must 

 here state that I have been aided throughout all my 

 later experiments by many valuable suggestions and 

 assistance given me with the greatest kindness by 

 Dr. Burdon Sanderson. 



