342 CAPILLARY ATTRACTION, ETC. [MEMOIR XXVI. 



MEMOIR XXVI. 



ON CAPILLARY ATTRACTION AND INTERSTITIAL MOTIONS. 



THE CAUSE OF THE FLOW OF SAP IN PLANTS AND 



THE CIRCULATION OF THE BLOOD IN ANIMALS. 



Extracted and condensed from various Memoirs as follows : On Capillary Attrac- 

 tion, Franklin Institute Journal, Philadelphia, September, 1834. On the Tidal 

 Motions of Movable Electric Conductors, Franklin Institute Journal, January, 

 1836. Experiments on Endosmosis, Franklin Institute Journal, March, 183(5. 

 On Endosmosis through Water and Soap Bubbles, Franklin Institute Journal, July, 

 1836. On Interstitial Movements, American Journal of Medical Sciences, May, 

 1836. On the Physical Theory of Capillary Attraction, American Journal of 

 Medical Sciences, February, 1 838. On the great Mechanical Force Generated by 

 the Condensing Action of Tissues, American Journal of Medical Sciences, May, 

 1838. On the Physical Theory of Endosmosis, American Journal of Medical 

 Sciences, August, 1838. Analysis of Some Coins, Silliman's American Journal, 

 VoL^CXIX., 1836. On the Circulation of the Blood, Silliman's American Journal, 

 Second Series, Vol. II., 1846. On the Constitution of the Atmosphere, London 

 and Edinburgh Philosophical Magazine, October, 1838. On Capillary Attraction, 

 London and Edinburgh Philosophical Magazine, March, 1845. On the Circula- 

 tion of the Blood, London and Edinburgh Philosophical Magazine, March, 1846. 

 A Treatise on the Forces that Produce the Organization of Plants, New York, 

 1844. A Treatise on Human Physiology, New York, 1856. 



NOTE. These Memoirs are collectively so voluminous that I could not publish them 

 in this volume in full. 1 made the following abridgment of them, which was 

 printed in Harper's Magazine, January, 1878. 



CONTENTS: Interstitial motions of solids. Motions of metal in coins. 

 Movement of liquids in crevices. Capillary attraction. Conditions 

 for a continuous flow. Capillary attraction an electrical phenomenon. 

 Motions of liquid conductors. Dutrochefs experiment of endosmosis. 

 Passage of gases through liquids. Soap bubbles. Passage against 

 heavy pressure. Distribution of sap in plants. Circulation in plants 

 due to sunlight producing gum. Circulation of blood in animals ex- 

 plained. The systemic, the pulmonary, and the portal circulation. 



IT is necessary for the life of every organized being 

 that a liquid should circulate through all its parts. In 



