420 Scientific Intelligence. 
been carried into the midst of that field, upon the intricacies and depths 
of whic ave been used all my life to look with feelings of un- 
bounded respect and even awe. The picking up of a mushroom has 
led to that very strange aberration of mine, and you will ask how such 
a trifling occurrence could do that. The matter stands thus: what the 
botanists tell me to be called “* Boletus luridus,” with some other sorts 
others, I infer that this mushroom principle, like guaiacum, is capable 
° 
of combining with O, and is not affected by O. Now the occurrence 
of a matter so closely related to guaiacum in a mushroom is a fact 
pretty enough of itself, but as to scientific importance far inferior to 
what I am going to tel : 
The fact that the resinous Boletus principle, after having been re- 
moved from the mushroom (by means of alcohol), is not able to color 
itself spontaneously in the atmospheric air, whilst it seems to have that 
power so long as it happens to be deposited in the parenchyma of the 
Boletus, led me to suspect that there exists in the Boletus luridus, be- 
sides the guaiacum-like substance, another matter, endowed with the 
property of exalting the chemical power of common oxygen, and caus- 
ing that element in its O condition to associate itself to the resinous 
principle of the mushroom. The conjecture was correct; for I found 
that in the juice obtained by pressure from a number of mushrooms 
belonging to the genera Boletus and Agaricus, and notably from Aga- 
‘ricu 
ricus sanguineus (upon which I principally worked), an organic wean 
18 contained which enjoys the remarkable power of transforming 
into O, and forming with the latter a compound from which O may 
easily be transferred to a number of oxydable matters, both of an in- 
organic and organic nature ; and 1 must not omit to state, that the pe- 
culiar Agaricus matter, after having been deprived of its O, may be 
charged with it again by passing through its solution a current of alr. 
ee re ee ee 
The easiest way of ascertaining the presence of O in the said Agaricus 
juice, is to mix that liquid with ana Ico holic solution of guaiacum, or 
