Ɛpsilon

From Lawson Tait   16 November [1875]1

7, Great Charles St. | Birmingham.

Novr. 16

My Dear Sir,

Let me acknowledge your reference, with thanks for your thoughtfulness2

I have had some correspondence with Prof Blackie & asked him about my new substance. He made some ingenious suggestions, but the results were awkward and I prefer “Azerin” to any other word I can coin.3

There is no doubt that this substance will be found in many places now that we know of its existence.

It is very curious. A temp of 212o does not interfere with its properties, but alcohol does. It dries into a straw coloured substance, transparent, but as soon as you remove heat & allow the access of air it absorbs very many times its bulk of water—probably over 30 or 40 times its bulk.

Please do not answer this.

Yours faithfully, | Lawson Tait.

Winter has put a stop to my enquiries in many directions when I think there is much to be done.

1
The year is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter from Lawson Tait, 6 November [1875].
2
CD’s letter has not been found.
3
John Stuart Blackie was professor of Greek at Edinburgh University. Tait wanted to name a substance that he believed he had isolated in the digestive fluid of insectivorous plants (see letter from Lawson Tait, 6 November [1875]).

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-10262,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-10262