. General physiology; an outline of the science of life. ELEMENTARY VITAL PHENOMENA 255 the cell-metabolism, although R. Dubois ('92) has shown that in certain animals, e.g., the boring mussel Pholas, the substance can be extruded from the body as a cell-product without immediately" losing its luminous power. Phosphorus is an active poison for all living substance ; hence, in the free state, in which it becomes luminous, it is wholly incompatible with the life of the cell. A trace of free phosphorus or luminous compounds of phos- phorus has never been found in luminous animals. Neverthele

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. General physiology; an outline of the science of life. ELEMENTARY VITAL PHENOMENA 255 the cell-metabolism, although R. Dubois ('92) has shown that in certain animals, e.g., the boring mussel Pholas, the substance can be extruded from the body as a cell-product without immediately" losing its luminous power. Phosphorus is an active poison for all living substance ; hence, in the free state, in which it becomes luminous, it is wholly incompatible with the life of the cell. A trace of free phosphorus or luminous compounds of phos- phorus has never been found in luminous animals. Nevertheless, it can be stated with certainty that the luminosity of living substance is associated, as in phosphorus, with very slow oxida- tion-processes. This follows especially from the fact that the light continues only in the presence of oxygen. Moreover, Fabre â ('55) has found that the luminous mushroom, Agaricus, produces much more carbonic acid, when emitting light, than at other times. Finally, there belongs here a fact that was observed by 0.3S OtO. Flo. lis.â/, Solar spectrum ; //, ;spectrum. Pyrophorus noetilucus. (After Langley and Veiy.) Max Schultze ('65) in the cells of the photogenic organs of light- ning-bugs, namely, that these photogenic cells stand always in the â closest connection with the trachese, which serve as breathing- tubes ; and, if they be placed under the microscope with perosmic acid, they withdraw oxygen from the latter, a fact which may be recognised by the appearance of a black precipitate. The photo- genic cells, therefore, absorb oxygen actively. Pfltiger appropriately :says concerning it: " Here, in the wonderful spectacle of animal phosphorescence nature has given us an example that shows where the taper burns that we call life." " It is certainly no rare exception, but only the special expression of the general law that all cells are burning continually, although with our corporeal eyes we do not see the light." As regards