Discusses the best means of presenting the draft bill about animal experimentation. Suggests that CD inform Lord Derby that scientific men concurred with the bill that had been prepared. [See 9923.]
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Discusses the best means of presenting the draft bill about animal experimentation. Suggests that CD inform Lord Derby that scientific men concurred with the bill that had been prepared. [See 9923.]
Agrees that CD should write to Lord Derby to say that a bill on animal experimentation was being prepared and that the government should not comment at this stage. [See 9933.] Ridicules the idea of using inspectors. Distinguishes between dissection and vivisection.
Further discussion about the act regulating animal experimentation; believes the licensing of places to be impracticable.
Informs CD that he has taken no further action about the petition concerning animal experimentation on the understanding that it would be presented only if the government introduced an objectionable bill. [See 9948.]
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.
Informs CD that Lyon Playfair would introduce the bill in the House of Commons, and that Lord Cardwell and Lord Shaftesbury had agreed to support it, the former introducing the bill in the House of Lords.
Further discussion of the introduction of a bill by Lyon Playfair on animal experimentation.
Believes Lyon Playfair has been led to compromise too far on bill about animal experimentation as a result of pressure from men wishing to suppress science. A full enquiry is to take place. [See 9987.] Suggests that CD send Playfair Huxley’s letter on the subject.
Thanks for JSBS’s essays; wishes he had said something on Lister’s observations. Speculates on the fungoid nature of smallpox and why there is seldom re-infection.
Discusses digestion by Drosera, the action of its secretion being the same as that of gastric juice.
Suggests JSBS’s new machine for observing arterial action be used to test CD’s hypothesis that blushing is caused by thinking intensely about a part of the body and thus releasing the arteries.
CD astonished at receiving the Baly Medal of the Royal College of Physicians.
Requests JSBS sign certificate for [Francis Darwin’s] candidacy [for Royal Society].
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.]
Wishes JSBS to look over an abstract of his Drosera experiments and to answer some questions on it.
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.
Describes his recent work on Drosera digestion of organic materials, e.g., albumen and gelatin. Edward Frankland has given CD a rough test for pepsin. Some plant extracts cause as much inflection as meat. Has found some reversible inflection with heat and perhaps some heat rigor. Has measured the extreme sensitivity of Drosera with very dilute solution of ammonium phosphate.
Thinks it would be worth while testing for electrical changes in the leaves of insectivorous plants.
CD can provide leaves of Dionaea if JSBS wishes to investigate electric currents in them.
His experiments show that the digestive action of Drosera seems like that of true digestion.
Pleased JSBS has decided to work on Drosera; sends plants. Does not know whether thermo-electric pile could detect temperature change when leaves close.
CD’s experiment with very weak hydrochloric acid repeated with success: the plants digest albumen more quickly.
Thanks JSBS for telegraphing his results, which seem very remarkable; feels he should now try Drosera.