Summary

Would welcome JSBS visit to discuss Drosera. Nitrogenous fluids can act as ferments only if they act merely by exciting molecular movement in adjoining molecules.

Glass and cotton excite movement and cause cell contents to change visibly. Huxley coming to see this phenomenon.

Studied effect of poisons 12 or 15 years ago to see whether the action was similar to that on nervous tissue.

Summary

Wishes JSBS to look over an abstract of his Drosera experiments and to answer some questions on it.

Summary

Answers CD’s questions of 25 July [8987] about temperatures at which cold-blooded animals are killed.

Doubts heat rigor was induced in Drosera. Gives his view of the relation of excitability to increase in temperature.

Suggests experiment to show that electrical changes in plant are the same as in animal muscle and nerve [see Insectivorous plants, p. 318].

Summary

Encloses letter from Thomas Henry Huxley (DCP-LETT-9942); CD thinks copies of their bill should be sent to Lyon Playfair and Edward Cardwell.

Richard Buckley Litchfield reports the intentions of the Humanitarians.

Summary

Sends the very little globulin and haemoglobin he has to be tested with artificial gastric juice. He could get more from Samuel William Moore. Perhaps T. L. Brunton knows about the digestion of chlorophyll by animals.

Summary

Reports that he has not received JSBS’s book on histology and physiology [Sanderson ed., Handbook for the physiological laboratory (1873)], which Edward Emmanuel Klein told CD’s son was to be sent. He asks for information so that he may thank Dr Klein. [Klein and Michael Foster were co-authors with JSBS.]

He has returned the Gazette to Dr T. L. Brunton. [See 8825.]

Summary

Thanks for fibrin. Drosera and Pinguicula dissolve it thoroughly.

Summary

Discusses digestion by insectivorous plants, asks JSBS to try same experiments using pepsin as the digestive agent to see how the results compare with CD’s observations on digestive power of Drosera.

Summary

Lyon Playfair approves the bill concerning animal experimentation and would be prepared to introduce it should it be necessary. Believes a bill could be passed by Parliament by September.

Summary

Sends cartilage from cat’s ear, the elastic fibres of which will probably resist digestion [by Drosera]. Is preparing fibro-cartilage, which he expects will be digested easily. [See Insectivorous plants, p. 104.]

Summary

Thanks JSBS for telegraphing his results, which seem very remarkable; feels he should now try Drosera.

Summary

Sends results of experiments on digestion. Encloses two sets of notes: "Experiments on the digestibility of certain preparations sent by Mr Darwin" and "Note for Mr Darwin" [marked by CD for insertion in ch. 6 of Insectivorous plants].

Summary

Encloses a copy of Lord Derby's note of 17 April 1875 (DCP-LETT-9938).

Sir John Lubbock has agreed to meet CD, but no arrangement has been made.

Maybe they should drop the petition, since Lord Derby has agreed to help.

Summary

Signs a certificate sent to him by CD [see 12954].

Sends CD a ticket to his lecture on 25 February, in which he will propose that the mode by which the excitable parts of plants influence other parts at a distance is essentially the same as in the excitable structure of animals, contrary to the views of Hermann Munk and Julius Sachs.

Interested in chapters 6 and 7 of Movement in plants.

Summary

Reports difficulties in experiments on digestion of fibro-cartilage. Asks about JSBS’s experiments with artificial digestive fluids.

JSBS must read Hooker’s address at Belfast [Rep. BAAS 44 (1874): 103–16] to see what a magnificent digester Nepenthes is.

Summary

JSBS’s article in Nature ["Venus’s fly-trap", 10 (1874): 105–7, 127–8] could not have been better done.

Has found another plant, Pinguicula, which can catch and digest flies.

Summary

Has been testing the digestive powers of Drosera; wants to know whether a group of substances that elicit similar responses are related.

Summary

Has written to Lord Derby about the vivisection issue and urged him to speak to the proper members of the Cabinet to prevent "hasty legislation versus science". CD offered to send the sketch of the bill that has been drafted or a small deputation to wait on any member of the Cabinet. Lubbock does not think the petition should be presented as he feels sure that nothing will be done this session.

Summary

"We have not a day to lose if our [Vivisection] Bill or our petition is to do any good". Reports on the activities of the opposition and the attitude of politicians on the subject. Believes a meeting with a minister should be arranged and thinks Lord Derby would be a good man. "All will depend on some half-dozen or 9 or 12 men agreeing on the bill."

Summary

Informs CD of the effects of certain salts and other chemicals on animals.

Comments on CD’s results with Drosera. Suggests some experiments.