Text Online
From:
Michael Faraday
To:
George Dollond
Date:
27 December 1828
Source of text:
John Rylands University Library of Manchester, Ryl. Eng. MS. 376/646b
Summary:
No summary available.
Contributor:
Faraday Project
Showing 1–20 of 43 items
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Seeks the assistance of a professional chemist in securing a qualitative analysis of the fluid secreted by the glands of Drosera which have the power of dissolving animal matter out of the bodies of insects. [See 8979.]
Thanks EF for his offer of assistance. Could the viscid secretions [in glands of Drosera] contain pepsin? Will the sodium carbonate render the testing of organic matter difficult? [See 8979.] Will send the fluid in a fortnight.
Agrees to delay sending the fluid [from the glands of Drosera] until early October. Will try suggestion about pepsin. [See 8981.]
Although CD’s experiments with pepsin were unsuccessful, he observed that the glands [of Drosera] as far as acid is concerned act just as the stomach of a mammal. Further experiments detailed. The secretion must contain something analogous to pepsin. [See 9062.]
Will follow EF’s suggestions as to securing purity of fibrin.
Is sending washings of 445 leaves in EF’s distilled water with 20 grains of carbonate of soda. Details of the difficulties and complications involved.
Requests a piece of the most sensitive litmus paper in order to test the secretions of minute hairs of plants which catch minute flies. [See 9098.]
Finds the negative information sent by EF of great interest [see 9094].
More on his own experiments and the perplexing results when using the sensitive litmus paper.
Apologises for his ignorance in interpreting the results secured in his testing with blue litmus paper.
Requests permission to call upon EF either Friday or Saturday morning [14 or 15 November].
On the "doubtful & obscure" subject of marriage of cousins, CD believes, that judging from the analogy of animals, no direct evil would follow from their marriage. He would, however, expect the offspring of unrelated parents to be somewhat superior in size and vigour. The injury from the increase of any bad tendency common to the family seems to CD more to be feared than mere consanguinity; "the good effects of crossing distinct families I look at as great & undoubted".