Percentage change of weight. 
Observations on Behaviour of Turgescent Tissue. 63 
Ten slices about 3mm. thick were cut from a tuber, a disc about 
cms. in diameter was punched from each, all the discs were 
rapidly rinsed in tap water, and then were transferred to distilled 
water under an air pump. After five minutes under reduced 
pressure they were injected, divided into 2 lots, blotted and weighed 
and put into M/100 mercuric chloride and distilled water respectively. 
M/100 Mercuric chloride. Distilled watert 
Initial weight, 1716 grammes. Initial weight, 17 - 58 grammes. 
Minutes of 
Immersion. 
Gain in 
grammes. 
Rate of gain 
% per hour. 
Minutes of 
Immersion. 
Gain in 
grammes. 
Rate of gain 
% per hour. 
15 
0-78 
18-2 
16 
0-52 
11*1 
15 
014 
3-3 
14 
0-20 
49 
23 
0-04 
0-6 
24 
0-29 
41 
There can be no doubt in the light of these experiments that 
the greater gain in weight is due to the more rapid entry of solution 
into the cells. 
In an experiment with pieces of Laminaria stipe, in which 
imbibition plays a predominant part, no such rapid absorption of 
water was observed, solutions entering on the contrary in all cases 
more slowly than water. 
Osmic acid. Of the other poisons with which experiments 
were made the only one which produced a similar acceleration of 
the rate of entry of water was osmic acid (Fig. 4) and the effect 
was only observed in the much lower concentration of M/1000. On 
the other hand the subsequent loss of weight was very slow and in 
Hours of immersion. 
Fio. 4. Osmic acid. 
