The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-11-19

Vegetable Anatomy and physio,or,

Vegetable Anatomy and Physiology.
The sixth and last OF DR.. Lemerciers Of Ice
tures on human and comparative anatomy and ply
siology was delivered at the Cooper Institute last
evening" the special subject being vegetable Anafo.
my and Physiology or Flowers, Fruits, &c.n The
platform fairly blossomed with beautifully coored
models Of flowers fruits and vegetables Daisies as
large as cart wheels grew in the same bed with
mushrooms which threw broader shadows than
as majestic as prize pumpkins were exhibit
ed alongside rosebuds fully as large as
full blown cabbage heads; luscious looking cherries
contained stones as big a. thirty-sx pound cannon;
pea pods yielded seeds which would have measured
about half dozen to the peck; and amid all these
exceedingly rare and magnificent specimens the
learned Doctor moved about like another CULVER at
some Brobdingnaglan agricultural fair.
BY way OF Introduction the lecturer gave brief
resume OF the preceding lectures OF the course
pairing the structure OF tho human body, it,
organs OF digestion, breathing, circulation, &C.,
with the organic structure Of the gorilla the horse
and other animals. Animals have internal organs
for the purposes or nutrition, digestion, breathing
and secretion. With these organs we digest vegeta.
BILE matter and make II part OF ourselves. Food pro-
vdes us with blood which ~ the sap OF animal lifc
II has been said that every seven years our organs
serve that plants have only vegetable fe they have
no feeling, no motion. Having finished his COMPARE
son between animal and vegetable life the lecturer
made the startling announcement that "by
placing animal organs on tree we can
give 1t new fe-maKe another animal
OF It," Noticing the sensation occasoncd by the
advancement or this tremendous Idea the Doctor
alaycd IL IN measure by expressing q doubt AZ to
whether he had made his meaning perfectly clear.
Generally speaking. In spite OF his foreign accent,
the Doctor succeeds In making himself perfectly
wet understood. While describing the pccuaritics
OF the three families into which the vegetable king
dom ~ divided, the Doctor dssectcd anatomical
models Of various fruits, flowers and vegetables.
Several specimens OF the mushroom tribe were cx-
hhted, and the difference between the edible and tho
poisonous plainly demonstrated. Pine trees have no
bark. The stem OF the pine Is composed OF gneous
tssuc the outside II hard and the inside soft' With
such trees as the oaa it is exactly the reverse;
the bark or exposed surface Is soft and the inside
hard. OAK bark ~ composed OF many layers one OF
which contains tannic acid. The nourishncnt
gathered by The roots s converted into sap and cir
lated through all parts. In anlmaswe Gnd tubes or
canals Tor tue circulation Of the vital nuid. La
Vegetables the sap IN distributed 10y means OF the
igycous tissue, or pth Leaves 10 tile tree what
the lungs are tU the animal. In Gssccfng leaf we
nud II 10 contain network OF arteries, as II were,
lo the circulation OF the zap. The sap h purified by
tue breathing junction Of the leaf In animals the
blood uxneo BY The action " tho lunga. By outing