Cuap. IX. ALKALOID POISONS. 205 
the other two, after their immersion for 24 hrs., were likewise 
placed in water, and in 24 hrs. were considerably re-expanded, 
though their glands were as black as ever. Half-minims were 
placed on the discs of six leaves, and no inflection ensued; but 
after three days the glands on the discs appeared rather dry, 
yet to my surprise were not blackened. On another occasion 
drops were placed on the discs of six leaves, and a considerable 
amount of inflection was soon caused; but as I had not filtered 
the solution, floating particles may have acted on the glands, 
After 24 hrs. bits of meat were placed on the discs of three of 
these leaves, and next day they became strongly inflected. As I 
at first thought that the poison might not have been dissolved 
in pure water, one grain was added to 487 grains of a mixture 
of one part of alcohol to seven of water, and half-minims were 
placed on the discs of six leaves. These were not at all affected, 
and when after a day bits of meat were given them, they were 
slightly inflected in 5 hrs., and closely after 24 hrs. It follows 
from these several tacts that a solution of curare induces a very 
moderate degree of inflection, and this may perhaps be due to 
the presence of a minute quantity of albumen. It certainly is 
not poisonous. The protoplasm in one of the leaves, which had 
been immersed for 24 hrs., and which had become slightly in- 
flected, had undergone a very slight amount of aggregation— 
not more than often ensues from an immersion of this length of 
time in water. 
Acetate of Morphia.—I tried a great number of experiments 
with this substance, but with no certain result. A considerable 
number of leaves were immersed from between 2 hrs. and 6 hrs. 
in a solution of one part to 218 of water, and did not become 
inflected. Nor were they poisoned ; for when they were washed 
and placed in weak solutions of phosphate and carbonate of 
ammonia, they soon became strongly inflected, with the pro- 
toplasm in the cells well aggregated. If, however, whilst the 
leaves were immersed in the morphia, phosphate of am- 
monia was added, inflection did not rapidly ensue. Minute 
drops of the solution were applied in the usual manner to the 
secretion round between thirty and forty glands; and when, 
after an interval of 6 m., bits of meat, a little saliva, or particles 
of glass, were placed on them, the movement of the tentacles 
was greatly retarded. But on other occasions no such retar- 
dation occurred. Drops of water similarly applied never have 
any retarding power. Minute drops of a solution of sugar of 
the same strength (one part to 218 of water) sometimes retarded 
the subsequent action of meat and of particles of glass, and 
