Chap. IX. ALKALOID POISONS. 205 



the other two, after their immersion for 24 hrs., were likewise 

 placed in water, and in 24 hrs. were considerably re-exj^anded, 

 though their glands were as black as ever. Half-minims were 

 placed on the discs of six leaves, and no inflection ensued ; but 

 after three days the glands on the discs appeared rather dry, 

 yet to my surprise were not blackened. On another occasion 

 drops were placed on the discs of six leaves, and a considerable 

 amount of inflection was soon caused ; but as I had not filtered 

 the solution, floating particles may have acted on the glands. 

 After 24 hrs. bits of meat were placed on the discs of three of 

 these leaves, and next day they became strongly inflected. As I 

 at first thought that the poison might not have been dissolved 

 in pure water, one grain was added to 437 grains of a mixture 

 of one part of alcohol to seven of water, and half-minims were 

 placed on the discs of six leaves. These were not at all afl^ected, 

 and when after a day bits of meat were given them, they were 

 slightly inflected in 5 hrs., and closely after 24 hrs. It follows 

 from these several facts that a solution of curare induces a very 

 moderate degree of inflection, and this may perhaps be due to 

 the presence of a minute quantity of albumen. It certainly is 

 not poisonous. The protoplasm in one of the leaves, which had 

 been immersed for 24 hrs., and which had become slightly in- 

 flected, had undergone a very slight amount of aggregation — 

 not more than often ensues from an immersion of this length of 

 time in water. 



Acetate of Morphia. — I tried a great number of experiments 

 with this substance, but with no certain result. A considerable 

 number of leaves were immersed from between 2 hrs. and 6 hrs. 

 in a solution of one part to 218 of water, and did not become 

 inflected. Nor were they poisoned ; for when they were washed 

 and placed in weak solutions of phosphate and carbonate of 

 ammonia, they soon became strongly inflected, with the pro- 

 toplasm in the cells well aggregated. If, however, whilst the 

 leaves were immersed in the morphia, phosphate of am- 

 monia was added, inflection did not rapidly ensue. Minute 

 drops of the solution were applied in the usual manner to the 

 secretion round between thirty and forty glands; and when, 

 after an interval of 6 m., bits of meat, a little saliva, or particles 

 of glass, were placed on them, the movement of the tentacles 

 was greatly retarded. But on other occasions no such retar- 

 dation occurred. Drops of water similarly applied never have 

 any retarding power. Minute drops of a solution of sugar of 

 the same strength (one part 'to 218 of water) sometimes retarded 

 the subsequent action of meat and of particles of glass, and 



