204 DROSERA ROTUNDIFOLIA. Cuap. IX 
of the protoplasm, but, except when pure, has very moderate 
power of inducing inflection, and still less power of causing 
a motor influence to be transmitted from the discal glands to 
the outer tentacles. It is moderately poisonous. 
Atrupine.—A grain was added to 487 grains of water, but 
was not-all dissolved; another grain was added to 487 grains of 
a mixture of one part of alcohol to seven parts of water; and 
& third solution was made by adding one part of valerianate of 
atropine to 487 of water. Half-minims of these three solutions 
were placed, in each case, on the discs of six leaves; but no 
effect whatever was produced, excepting that the glands on 
the discs to which the valerianate was given were slightly 
discoloured. The six leaves on which drops of the solution 
of atropine in diluted alcohol had been left for 21 hrs. 
were given bits of meat, and all became in 24 hrs. fairly well 
inflected; so that atropine does not excite movement, and is 
not poisonous. I also tried in the same manner the alkaloid 
sold as daturine, which is believed not to differ from atropine, 
and it produced no effect. Three of the leaves on which drops 
of this latter solution had been left for 24 hrs. were likewise 
given bits of meat, and they had in the course of 24 hrs. a good 
many of their submarginal tentacles inflected. _ 
Veratrine, Colchicine, Theine—Solutions were made of these 
three aikaloids by adding one part to 437 of water. Half-minims 
were placed, in each case, on the discs of at least six leaves, but 
no inflection was caused, except perhaps a very slight amount 
by the theine. Half-minims, of a strong infusion of tea like- 
wise produced, as formerly stated, no effect. I also tried similar 
drops of an infusion of one part of the extract of colchicum, sold 
by druggists, to 218 of water; and the leaves were observed for 
48 hrs., without any effect being produced. The seven leaves on 
which drops of veratrine had been left for 26 hrs. were given 
bits of meat, and after 21 hrs. were well inflected. These three 
alkaloids are therefore quite innocuous. 
Curare-—One part of this famous poison was added to 218 of 
water, and three leaves were immersed in ninety minims of the 
filtered solution. In 3 hrs. 30 m. some of the tentacles were 
a little inflected; as was the blade of one, after 4 hrs. After 
7 brs. the glands were wonderfully blackened, showing that 
matter of some kind had been absorbed. In 9 hrs. two of the 
leaves had most of their tentacles sub-inflected, but the inflec- 
tion did not increase in the course of 24 hrs. One of these 
leaves, after being immersed for 9 hrs. in the solution, was 
placed in water, and by next morning had largely re-expanded 
