152 BIOLOGY OF PLANTS. 



and their reunion into two or several others, which contain 

 the same number of elements, either grouped in another man- 

 ner or in different proportions."* 



" Of two compounds, formed in consequence of such a 

 change, one remains as a component part of the blossom or 

 fruit, while the other is separated by the roots, in the form of 

 excrementitious matter. No process of nutrition can he con- 

 ceived to subsist in animals or vegetables icithout tlic separa- 

 tion of effete matters.^''* 



A transformation must take place, whenever there is a 

 disturbance of the mutual attraction which subsists between 

 the simple elements of bodies. The elements arrange them- 

 selves, so as to give rise to new substances, either with or 

 without the separation of one of the elements of the compound. 

 " Hydrocyanic acid and water, for example, contain all the 

 elements of carbonic acid, ammonia, urea, cyanuric acid, cy- 

 anilic acid, oxalic acid, formic acid, melam, ammelin, me- 

 lamin, azulmin, mellon, hydromellonic acid and allantoin."* 

 All these substances may be obtained from hydrocyanic acid 

 and water, by various chemical transformations. 



Suppose now, that carbonic, humic and crenic acids, were 

 to meet each other in the vegetable organs, either in the pure 

 state, or in the form of their soluble salts (and they must so 

 meet), their mutual affinities would be disturbed, and their 

 elements arranged, so as to form several, if not all, of the 

 vegetable compounds. Each organ would extract what food 

 was fitted for its sustenance. That is, one vegetable sub- 

 stance being formed, the remaining elements which are not 

 assimilated, would combine together and be rejected at once 

 as effete matter ; or by coming in contact with another or- 

 gan would pass through another transformation, and so con- 

 tinue on, until, being capable of no farther transformations, 

 the matter would be separated from the system by the organs 

 destined for that purpose. Thus, the useless matters rejected 



* Liebiir. 



