RECORD: Darwin, C. R. [1873]. Plate 1 / white stick with red Head / 2 test — minute drop of Acetate. CUL-DAR56.40-42. (John van Wyhe ed., 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
REVISION HISTORY: Text prepared and edited by John van Wyhe. RN1
NOTE: See record in the Darwin Online manuscript catalogue, enter its Identifier here. Reproduced with permission of the Syndics of Cambridge University Library and William Huxley Darwin. The volumes CUL-DAR 54-61 contain material for Darwin's book Insectivorous plants (1875).
40
(A
Aug 1 Plate I
8O 59' (white stick with red Head) 2 tent — minute drop of Acetate of Morphia 2 gr to 1 oz —(9. 17' put on cinder & glass on 2 others) (10O 2' morphias not moved; one of 2 others slightly moved.) (10O 30', those with no morphia have now curled right in; put saliva on gland nearest stick, & 2 or 3 other were touched at the same time) (10O. 36' the one with saliva & glass has curvd & th adjoing one still more) — (Put saliva 10O 30' on the 2d gland with morphia & it curled in 2O 30'
9. 4' Black stick do (9. 19' put on as above)
(10O, the 2 opium not moved; both others have moved) (10O 33' do put saliva on one nearest stick & on one other (10O 38, one with saliva & morphia not moved, the other with saliva alone has moved) (10O 42' 30" put saliva on other morphia gland with blue glass did not move in 5', both other tentacles torpid— go from nothing
9. 8' red stick (2 glands together) do — (9. 23 put on cinder) 10O not moved ,2 of the 3 others have moved the 3d never moved) (10O 35' do — put saliva on the 2 with morphia & on another near the morphia one (10O 40', the 2 with morphia & saliva have moved)
41
(B
Plate II.
Aug 1'
10O 58' Blue stick — morphia on 2 glands as before (11O 16' put on glass & cinder) 18' morphia for 18'
11O 43' morphia not moved — (put on new cinder on 2 others) forgot to do so before
11O 56' morphia not moved. (12O 10' do, put on saliva) (12O 14' one has moved)
(1O the 3 glands with fragments alone have not moved.)
11O 4 Black stick 3 glands with morphia (11O 17' glass & cinder) (ie morphia for 13')
11. 44' one with morphia has bent ( put on now on 3 other, forgot before to do so)
(11O 52' the glands with cinder & & no morphia have already moved)
(12O. 11' put saliva on the 2 with morphia which had not moved; 12O 15', moved immensely)
52 [-] 44 [=] 8
11O 10' Red & yellow stick 2 glands. (11O 26' cinder & glass)
(11 46 put on cinder & glass on 2 others forgot to do so before)
11 48' one has already moved, without morphia) (10O, the other has not moved.)
(12O 13' put on saliva) (1O, saliva no effect)
11O 23 (stick with lines) 3 glands marked on back with blue not well done poorly
11O 40' put on cinder on 3 but glands almost dry
11O 50' put on cinder & glass on others forgot to do so before ( all glands torpid)
42
(C
Aug 1st Abstract of Morphia experiments p. A. & B
(see to rough Table of results)
Of the 13 glands given morphia with pins' head. (sol 1 gr t 1 oz) only one moved when loaded ( after interval of from 13' to 18') with splinter of glass & cinder, within a period of from 40' to 1O 30' They were then treated with saliva & 8/12 or 2/3 (subtracting the 1 which moved spontaneously) moved within from 4' to 6', & 4/12 or 1/3 never moved; these must have been aboriginally torpid glands or were affected by the morphia (which is not probable) or by having been loaded.
Of 15 glands loaded with splinter of glass or given morphia 10.15 or 2.3 moved whilst those with morphia did not, Six which were watched moved in from 2' to 8'; the others when fed moved after from 40' to 60' 5/15 or 1/3 were torpid & never moved at all.—
(over)
42v
1 out of 13 1/13 moved spont. after began treated with the morphia, & 2/3 of the good glands [illeg] moved quickly when given soln whereas 10/15 moved spontaneous & very quickly when similarly loaded & not having previously been treated with morphia
Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
File last updated 30 November, 2025