therefore succeeds best in a well-managed iron curvilinear 
hothouse. 
We are not sure whether this is the Persian plant 
called Suluque, mentioned by Christopher A Costa (cap. lv.) 
under the name of Herba' Viva, to which some curious 
properties are ascribed, and which he says, “‘ affirmarunt 
utilem esse virgines corruptas in integrum restituendas,” 
The singular and well-known property which the leaves 
of this and some other plants possess of retiring from the 
touch, and of exhibiting a kind of sensibility which is more 
the attribute of animal than of vegetable organisation, has 
lately been the subject of a curious memoir from the able 
pen of Dr. Dutrochet, a distinguished French Physiologist. 
As the opinions of that writer are little known in this 
country, we believe we cannot render a more acceptable 
service to our readers than by availing ourselves of the 
present opportunity of giving a short exposition of them. 
M. Dutrochet states, that having ascertained hot nitric 
acid to possess the power of separating and reducing to its 
simplest form the whole mass of vegetable tissue, and that 
the action of the same acid produced other effects equally 
advantageous for the examination of the most obscure parts 
of vegetable structure, he was induced to give his attention 
to that of the Mimosa pudica, in the hope of gaining some 
evidence respecting the cause to which its sensibility is 
to be ascribed. Beginning with the pith, he observed 
a considerable number of minute globules of a greenish 
colour, intermingled among the cells, and adhering to them 
in an irregular manner. After attempting to. shew the 
probability of these globules having deceived M. Mirbel in 
various points of his analysis of vegetation, and especially 
in regard to the pores which that: Botanist supposes to 
exist in the cellular tissue of plants, Dr. Dutrochet proceeds 
to remark; that the application of hot nitric acid to these 
globules renders them perfectly opaque, whence he con- 
cludes that they are, in fact, minute cells filled with a 
particular fluid, which is subject to become concrete by the 
application of acids. Now it is known that such fluids as 
are thus altered by acids, are usually dissolved and liquefied 
again by the application of alkalies. A few drops, therefore, 
of a solution of hydrate of potash were suffered to fall upon | 
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