94 LIFE AND WORK OF SIR JAGADIS C. BOSE 



stimulating, depressing and poisoning drugs. The non- 

 living and living alike gave responses which were essentially 

 similar. 



Revolving these results in his mind, it occurred to Bose 

 in his constant alternation of self-criticism and cosmic out- 

 look, that if the striking continuity between such ex- 



tremes as metal and 

 animal be real, then 

 a test should be 

 afforded by ordinary 

 plants, hitherto 

 reckoned as unre-. 

 sponsive. Full of 

 this idea, Bbse 

 rushed out into the 

 garden plot of his 

 London lodging and 

 gathered the first 

 leaves of its horse- 

 chestnut tree just 

 opening ; and on 

 testing one of them, 



FIG. 4. Action of stimulant in enhancing ne found it respond 

 response of metal (platinum). In this . r 



and in following records the first series Vigorously. He next 

 exhibit the normal response ; the subse- 

 quent series show the effect of chemical 



agent. 



found his carrots 



and turnips despite the stolid and prosaic aspect by 

 which we have too long misjudged them turning out to 

 be highly sensitive, even in their very roots. Some sea- 

 kale, however, gave little or no response. On inquiry the 

 greengrocer explained that it had suffered on the journey 

 to London from a fall of snow; and fresh specimens on 

 a later day gave full response. 



The normal similarity in the response of metal, plant, 

 and animal was thus established, by many tracings of their 

 curves ; and the next experiments were on the effects of 



nff tn 



greengrocer, and 



