Cuar. VL DIGESTION. 85 
CHAPTER VI. 
Tut Dicustrve Power oF THE SECRETION OF Drosera. 
The secretion rendered acid by the direct and indirect excitement of 
the glands — Nature of the acid -— Digestible substances — Albu- 
men, its digestion arrested by alkalies, recommences by the addi- 
tion of an acid — Meat — Fibrin — Syntonin — Areolar tissue — 
Cartilage — Fibro-cartilage —Bone— Enamel and dentine — Phos- 
phate of lime— Fibrous basis of bone —- Gelatine — Chondrin — 
Milk, casein and cheese — Gluten — Legumin — Pollen — Globulin 
— Hematin — Indigestible substances — Epidermic productions — 
Fibro-elastic tissue — Mucin — Pepsin — Urea — Chitine — Cellu- 
lose — Gun-cotton — Chlorophyll — Fat and oil — Starch — Action 
of the secretion on living seeds—-Summary and concluding 
remarks. 
As we have seen that nitrogenous fluids act very 
differently on the leaves of Drosera from non-nitro- 
genous fluids, and as the leaves remain clasped for a 
much longer time over various organic bodies than 
over inorganic bodies, such as bits of glass, cinder, 
wood, &c., it becomes an interesting inquiry, whether 
they can only absorb matter already in solution, or 
render it soluble,—that is, have the power of digestion. 
We shall immediately see that they certainly have this 
power, and that they act on albuminous compounds in 
exactly the same manner as does the gastric juice of 
mammals; the digested matter being afterwards ab- 
sorbed. This fact, which will be clearly proved, is a 
wonderful one in the physiology of plants. I must 
here state that I have been aided throughout all my 
later experiments by many valuable suggestions and 
assistance given me with the greatest kindness by 
Dr. Burdon Sanderson. 
