35 



Absorption of Water not effected 

 by Amount or Kind of Gas contained in the Water. 



As the former experiments were conducted with the use of 

 water containing such an amount of air as water will naturally 

 absorb from the atmosphere it was thought there might be differ- 

 ent results with a different amount of air - less or more - 

 in the water, or that other gases might have a perceptible 

 effect on the amount and rate of absorption quite different 

 from that ordinarily contained. In order to secure the facts, 

 com and peas were soaked in cold boiled distilled water. 

 Previous to the soaking, however, a quantity of such prepared 

 water was saturated with carbon dioxide, a part with hydrogen, 

 a part contained no gas, another portion saturated with air, 

 and with these, a check in which the water contained such as 

 it naturally contains. 



The results of the two complete experiments are given in 

 the following tables 12 & 13, and give rise to the following 

 conclusions: - 



Corn and peas may be soaked in water containing no air, 

 small or large quantities of air, hydrogen, or carbon dioxide, 

 and, in all these conditions the same rate and amount of ab- 

 sorption results. From this, imbibition can hardly be looked 

 upon as a vital activity. This is Mobbe's conclusion. 



