The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-07-01

/ How does it know whether to go up the
stem, to the fruit or down to the root
Does it just happen to go to the right
place? Is it all mere chance, the ac-
ton of blind force" or is there a
mighty intelligence continually guild
ing and directing the process? Would
a motor car or a locomotive go to the
right place without a guiding intelli-
gence?
If the answer is. not convincing look
into the leaf:-The starch may be dis
solved and taken away as before-this
time however it is converted into eel
lulose, the wood frame work or skele-
ton of the plant. The strange thing is
this instance is that cellulose and
starch have the same chemical compo-
sition, each consisting of seventy-two
parts of charcoal and ninety parts of
water. Where is the man however
clever he may be, who can take coal
and water in any proportion whatever
and make two products so dissimilar
in properties?
Does it require intelligence to per-
form such feat or is it the result of
mere chance, the action of a blind
force? 1t certainly does require in
telligence-a very great intelligence.
1t requires a God to perform such a
miracle.
Does it require further proof? Look
in another leaf where the same ele-
ments as before are combined with
another one-an inert gas, nitrogen
this time deadly poison, strychnine
instead of food is produced. In the
leaf of another plant-the poppy-the
same elements are combined in a
slightly different proportion to pro-
duce morphine. Strychnine throws
the victim into commissions; morphine
produces sleep of death. Who taught
this leaf to make convulsant and
that one a paralyzant out of the same
material? More remarkable still is
the process going on in the leaf of the
poppy plant whose leaf produces at the
same time and from the same material
a convulsant, the baine, and paraly-
zant, morphine. Did the poppy leaf
learn this remarkable secret itself or
is a Supreme Intelligence operating
there?
Put the question to another leaf.
The same material again, coal and
water, are used to produce volatile
oil which is poured out through the
petals of a wild rose to scent the air
with delicate fragrance, or the leaf
of the carrion flower growing possibly
on the shade of the rose may produce
the horrible stencil of decaying flesh,
Do these wonderful processes just
happen?
If you are not yet convinced ask the
leaf of the cherry tree for its secret
Therein is the most wonderful chemi
cal combination of all. There are found
a host of compounds-we will not con.
slider the development of the delicate
fragrance emanating from the bios
som, nor the color giving the petals
their exquisitely beautiful tints, MOI
the life-bearing principle of the pollen
compounds of marvellous delicacy and
all made from the basic substance
starch.
Let us consider however, the prod
ucts that originate in the leaf and
are stored in the fruit. In addition tc
the coal and water, nitrogen is useC
largely in making the kernel of the pit
to produce vegetable albumen. Along
; products are stored, one called emul
sin an engine or ferment, the other
aneygdalin, glucoside-when the
kernel is crushed and mixed with
water the emulsin decomposes the
aneygdalin, and produces Benzalde
hyde an oily liquid of an agreeable
I fragrance having the same compost
5 ton as oil of Bitter Almonds
: this compound is produced at the
} same time-the other one being 6
deadly poison, Prussic Acid. A single
J drop of this poison in it's pure state
when placed on the tongue will cause
instant death by stopping the heart.
While the leaf is celebrating these
strange products it is also making
! hthe stony compound for the pit. 1t is
. also storing many products in the fruit
where we find sugar glucose, citric ant
, malic acid and the delicate principles
to which the fruit owes it's taste anC
. flavor The delicate coIoring matter
r also comes from the same chemica
! laboratory in the leaf-many Other
wonderful products are made in thi:
{ leaf and stored in different parts o.
: the plant but why emunerate any
f now?
II Who establishes, who directs ant
r maintains this wonderful ehemiea
! laboratory? What guides the stony
, matter to the pit, the coloring matter
! to the skin of the fruit, the fermen
l to the kernel and the fragrance to the
T petals instead of the root or bark
How do all these different product:
avoid getting mixed with each othel
/ in their journey from the leaf? How
do they know whether to go up the
| stem or down? If you still doubt the
, existence of Supreme Intelligence
t consider the wonderful process goins
I in your own body.
The human body is composed of {
vast number of individual cells, eacl
one living separate and independent
: existence. These cells, microscopic
in size, varying from 1900 to 1=50O O
: an inch in diameter are fundamental!
E alike. consisting of cellwall o.
j. envelope enclosing a jelly like sub