Chap. IX.] VAPOUR OF ETHER. 179 



come pale-coloured; but none of the tentacles moved. After 6 hrs. 

 30 ni. the leaves appeared sickly, and the discal glands were almost 

 dry. By the next morning many of the tentacles were dead, as 

 were all those on which meat had been placed; showing that mat- 

 ter had been absorl)ed from the meat which had increased the evil 

 elFects of the vapour. After four days the plant itself died. An- 

 other plant was expose<l in the same vessel for 15 m. to forty 

 minims. One young, small, and tender leaf had all its tentacles 

 inflected, and seemed much injured. Bits of raw meat were placed 

 on several glands on two other and older leaves. These glands be- 

 came dry after 6 hrs., and seemed injured; the tentacles never 

 moved, excepting one was ultimately a little inflected. The glands 

 of which the other tentacles continued to secrete, and appeared un- 

 injured, but the whole plant after three days became verj' sickly. 



In the two foregoing experiments the doses were evidently too 

 large and poisonous. With weaker doses, the anaesthetic effect 

 was variable, as in the case of chloroform. A plant was exposed 

 for 5 m. to ten drops under a 12-oz. vessel, and bits of meat were 

 then placed on many glands. None of the tentacles thus treated 

 began to move in a decided manner until 40 m. had elapsetl; but 

 then some of them moved very quickly, so that two reached the 

 centre after an additional interval of only 10 m. In 2 hrs. 12 m. 

 from the time when the meat was given, all the tentacles reached 

 the centre. Another plant, with two leaves, was exposed in the 

 same vessel for 5 m. to a rather large dose of ether, and bits of 

 meat were placed on several glands. In this case one tentacle on 

 each leaf began to bend in 5 m. ; and after 12 m. two tentacles on 

 one leaf, and one on the second leaf, reached the centre. In 30 m. 

 after the meat had been given, all the tentacles, both those with and 

 without meat, were closely inflected; so that the ether apparently 

 had stimulated these leaves, causing all the tentacles to bend. 



Vapour of Xitric Ether. This vapour seems more injurious 

 than that of sulphuric ether. A plant was exposed for 5 m. in a 

 12-oz. vessel to eight drops in a watch-glass, and I distinctly saw 

 a few tentacles curling inwards before the glass was removed. Im- 

 mediately afterwards bits of meat were placed on three glands, but 

 no movement ensued in the course of 18 m. The same plant was 

 placed again under the same vessel for 16 m. with ten drops of 

 the ether. None of the tentacles moved, and next morning those 

 with the meat were still in the same position. After 48 hrs. one 

 leaf seemed healthy, but the others were much injured. 



Another plant, having two good leaves, was exposed for 6 m. 

 under a 19-oz. vessal to the vapour from ten minims of the ether, 

 and bits of meat were then placed on the glands of many tentacles 

 on both leaves. After 36 m. several of them on one leaf became 

 inflected, and after 1 hr. almost all the tentacles, those with and 

 without meat, nearly reached the centre. On the other leaf the 

 glands began to dry in 1 hr. 40 m., and after several hours not a 

 single tentacle was inflected ; but by the next morning, after 21 

 hrs., many were inflecte<l, though they seemed much injure*!. In 

 this and .the previous experiment, it is doubtful, owing to the in- 

 13 



