532  Botanical  Characters  of  Officinal  Plants.  {^'■iT.;^m!m 
the  same  elements  in  the  same  proportions,  and  yet  differ  in  their 
properties. 
Such  perplexing  instances  are  morphia  and  piperina,  thebaia  and 
buxina.  Then  again,  only  the  slightest  difference  in  the  chemical 
composition  alters  the  properties  of  the  bodies  very  materially.  For 
example,  quinia  and  emetia,  both  existing  in  the  nat.  ord.  Rubiaceaey 
differ  only  provided  the  formula  for  the  latter  is  correct,  in  the  latter 
containing  three  molecules  more  water  than  the  first.  A  still  more 
striking  example  is  offered  by  morphia  and  its  derivative  apomorphia,, 
the  former  containing  only  one  more  molecule  of  water  than  the  other. 
Evidently,  there  exists  a  tie  between  the  narcotic  papaveraceae  of 
the  genus  papaver  and  the  emetic  and  irritant  papaveraceae  of  the  genus 
chelidonium  and  sanguinaria.  As  known,  curare  prepared  from 
Strychnos  toxifera,  possesses  entirely  different  properties  than  the  alka- 
loids of  the  other  species  of  strychnos;  but,  by  the  experiments  of 
Crum-Brown,  Fraser,  Jolyet,  A.  Cahours  and  Schroff,  it  has  been 
demonstrated  that  the  ethylated  and  methylated  derivatives  of  strychnia 
act  in  the  same  manner  as  curare.  Here,  then,  chemistry  enlightens 
us  on  a  point  which,  at  first  glance,  appears  to  contradict  the  theory  of 
Linnaeus,  and  which,  if  the  physiological  properties  were  taken  as- 
standard  of  comparison,  would  be  incomprehensible. 
We  know  very  little  in  regard  to  the  laws  which  regulate  the 
formation  of  the  proximate  constituents  in  the  vegetable  organism.  We 
know  that  plants,  like  all  living  beings,  are  chemical  apparatuses  in 
active  operation  ;  but  we  know  only  the  products,  not  the  processes  ta 
which  they  owe  their  origin. 
We  may  infer  that  oils  and  fats  are  more  permanent  reserve-nutri- 
ments than  sugar  and  starch  ;  but  when  vegetation  is  again  awakened 
they  are  changed  to  soluble  nourishments.  We  may  suppose  that  the 
etherial  oils  of  flowers  are  antiseptics,  intended  to  shield  their  organs 
from  the  attacks  of  lower  parasites.  We  know  that  the  resin  with 
which  the  buds  are  coated  protects  them  from  moisture  ;  but  what 
more  do  we  know  ?  u  Of  the  entire  long  list  of  substances  like 
Coloring-matters,  Acids,  Alkaloids,  Wax,  Tannins,  Pectin,  etc.,  the 
relation  to  other  processes  of  transformation  is  unknown,  as  well  as- 
the  physiological  process  in  the  plant  life."  (J.  Sachs'  "  Handbook  of 
Botany.") 
One  of  the  principal  consequences  of  the  various  reactions  occurring 
