Potassium, Carbonate of (pure).—­Half-minims of a solution of one part to 437 of water were placed on six leaves.  No effect was produced in 24 hrs.; but after 48 hrs. some of the leaves had their tentacles, and one the blade, considerably inflected.  This, however, seemed the result of their being injured; for on the third day after the solution was given, three of the leaves were dead, and one was very unhealthy; the other two were recovering, but with several of their tentacles apparently injured, and these remained permanently inflected.  It is evident that the 1/960 of a grain of this salt acts as a poison.  Three leaves were also immersed, each in thirty minims of a solution of one part to 875 of water, though only for 9 hrs.; and, very differently from what occurs with the salts of soda, no inflection ensued.

Potassium, Nitrate of.—­Half-minims of a strong solution, of one part to 109 of water (4 grs. to 1 oz.), were placed on the discs of four leaves; two were much injured, but no inflection ensued.  Eight leaves were treated in the same manner, with drops of a weaker solution, of one part to 218 of water.  After 50 hrs. there was no inflection, but two of the leaves seemed injured.  Five of these leaves were subsequently tested with drops of milk and a solution of gelatine on their discs, and only one became inflected; so that the solution of the nitrate of the above strength, acting for 50 hrs., apparently had injured or paralysed the leaves.  Six leaves were then treated in the same manner with a still weaker solution, of one part to 437 of water, and these, after 48 hrs., were in no way affected, with the exception of perhaps a single leaf.  Three leaves were next immersed for 25 hrs., each in thirty minims of a solution of one part to 875 of water, and this produced no apparent effect.  They were then put into a solution of one part of carbonate of ammonia to 218 of water; the glands were immediately blackened, and after 1 hr. there was some inflection, and the protoplasmic contents of the cells became plainly aggregated.  This shows that the leaves had not been much injured by their immersion for 25 hrs. in the nitrate.

Potassium, Sulphate of.—­Half-minims of a solution of one part to 437 of water were placed on the discs of six leaves.  After 20 hrs. 30 m. no effect was produced; after an additional 24 hrs. three remained quite unaffected; two seemed injured, and the sixth seemed almost dead with its tentacles inflected.  Nevertheless, after two additional days, all six leaves recovered.  The immersion of three leaves for 24 hrs., each in thirty minims of [page 180] a solution of one part to 875 of water, produced no apparent effect.  They were then treated with the same solution of carbonate of ammonia, with the same result as in the case of the nitrate of potash.

Potassium, Phosphate of.—­Half-minims of a solution of one part to 437 of water were placed on the discs of six leaves, which were observed during three days; but no effect was produced.  The partial drying up of the fluid on the disc slightly drew together the tentacles on it, as often occurs in experiments of this kind.  The leaves on the third day appeared quite healthy.