302 Lit'E MOVEMENTS IN PLANTS 



cathode at the pulvinule was found to exert a contractile, 

 reaction, exhibited either by the reduction of normal limit 

 of diastolic expansion, or by an arrest of movement at 

 systole. The effect of anode was precisely the opposite ; 

 the induced expansinti was exhibited either by reduction 

 of normal limit of systolic contraction, or by arrest of 

 pulsation at diastole. 



From the above results it is seen that with a feeble 

 current : 



(1) contraction is induced at the cathode, and 



(2) expansion is brought about at the anode. 



These effects take place under the action of a feeble 

 current. Under strong currents, contraction takes place 

 both at the anode and the cathode. 



POLAR EFFECT OF ELECTRICAL CURRENT ON GROWTH. 



The object of this investigation was to determine 

 whether anode and cathode exerted similar discriminative 

 and opposita effects on growth. For this experiment I 

 took a specimen of Kysoor and <letermined the region 

 where growth was maximum. A piece of moist cloth was 

 wrapped round this region to serve as one of the two 

 electrodes. The second electrode was placed in tha 

 neighbouring indifferent region where there liad been a 

 cessation of growth. 



Effect of Cathode .- E.Tperiment 111. — The particular 

 specimen of Kysixn' had a nurniul rate of growth of 

 0*48 fx per second. On application of the cathode the rate 

 was reduced to 0*14 fx per second, or to less than a third. 

 This will be seen in record (Fig. 107), where N is the 



