TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION B. 323 



vegetable production possesses with tlie blood of animals. In the first place, when ob- 

 served under the microscope, it is found to consist of minute spherical cells, about 

 0-004 of a millimetre in diameter, according to my own determinations, and these 

 may be easily likened to human blood corpuscles, which I find measure 0-005 to 

 0-006 of a millimetre, with the same instrument. These little cells, each distinct 

 and independent, swarm in a kind of mucous substance which may, for analogy's 

 sake, be compared to the serum of the blood. But I have found that they contain 

 a colouring matter of a very remarkable character, that will be here spoken of as 

 Palmelline. Up to the present time there is no substance known to chemists which 

 at all resembles it, except the colouring matter of blood, or hemoglohine. Like 

 the latter, it is insoluble in alcohol, ether, benzol, and sulphide of carbon, but 

 dissolves in water. Like the colouring matter of blood, palmelline is dichroi'c ; 

 like it, also, its aqueous solution is coagulated by acetic acid, alcohol, and ammonia, 

 and it is a colouring matter of an albuminous nature. Like hemoglobine, the new 

 substance, palmelline, also produces wide bands of absorption in the yellow of the 

 spectrum, though not exactly in the same position. The solution of palmelline in 

 water easily undergoes putrefaction with development of ammonia, precisely as 

 does the colouring matter of blood. Finally, like hemoglobine, palmelline contains 

 a little iron. 



These and other strong analogies are certainly extremely curious, since the two 

 substances are really distinct ; in other terms, the analogy does not amount to 

 identity. But it is the first time that any substance at all similar to the colouring 

 matter of blood has been discovered in the vegetable kingdom. 



Palmelline cannot be extracted from the little plant whilst the latter is in a 

 moist state, for, then, its vitality is such that it does not allow water to extract the 

 colour. The plant must be dried by exposure to the air for some twenty-four to 

 forty-eight hours, without the application of any artificial heat. It must then be 

 placed at the bottom of a porcelain dish containing a little cold water, the dish 

 being covered with a sheet of glass, and allowed to remain for another period of 

 twenty-four to thirty-six hours. By that time the colouring matter is almost all 

 exhausted, and forms a beautiful rose pink solution, if seen by transmission, and 

 orange yellow by reflection. No other colouring matter is extracted from the plant 

 in this manner. The dry plant may also be treated first with sulphide of carbon, 

 and then by strong alcohol ; being afterwards thoroughly dried, water will then 

 extract the palmelline as before. 



Evaporated to dryness at about 40° C, the solution yields the substance in 

 question, as more or less crystalline crusts, without any definite form. 



The solution is coagulated by alcohol, ammonia, and acetic acid, producing in 

 each case flocks similar to the fibrine of blood. It is also coagulated by heat, like 

 albumine. It yields several wide bands of absorption in the spectroscope : these 

 are situated below D in the yellow, and extend into the green of the spectrum. 



Palmelline is insoluble in ether, alcohol, or sulphide of carbon and benzol. Its 

 solution in water enters easily into putrefaction at 25° to 30° C, with a very strong 

 ammoniacal odour of putrid cheese, and development of swarms of active vih-ios 

 and bacteria. This decomposition can only be prevented, so as to preserve the colour, 

 by saturating the recent aqueoussolution with ether. As long as the odour of ether 

 is perceptible in the flask, no decomposition sets in. A little salicylic acid also 

 preserves the solution for a week or so ; but it modifies the colour, turns it more or 

 less violet, and takes away the curious yellow fluorescence, which is so characteristic 

 of palmelline. 



When the aqueous solution is coagulated by alcohol, the palmelline is precipi- 

 tated as red filaments like fibrine, which soon become colourless. Ammonia and 

 potash act in the same manner, first turning the pink to a greenish-blue shade, and 

 afterwards destroying the colour. Sulphide of ammonium turns the solution 

 yellow without coagulating it. Hydrochloric acid and nitric acid change the tint 

 of the solution to brick red, which is no longer dichroi'c, and then destroy it, 

 without coagidation. 



When a few drops of palmelline solution were treated so as to obtain what are 

 called microscopic • blood-crystals,' like the crystals produced by hematine with 



Y2 



