Picture - Cosmic Polymath

4 DESIGN IN NATURE
Yid, 4.—Oarbunate of calcium from urine of horse. Natural. Shows radiating and rosette arrangements seen in planXs, no\ ,
animals, and parts thereof: also in lines of force (Plates h'. and Ivi., pp. 107 and 109), and in developing embryo cells (Plates ixi.,
Ixii., and Ixiii., pp. 154, 156, and 158). . ,,,
Fig. 5.— Crystals of margarine and stearine. Margarine needles (a) and stearine ftower-like aggregations of lanceolate pla-tes ^o;.
Fig. 6.—Uric acid crystals. Human. Natural, a, Various form.s of aigrettes, radiating and flower-like ; b, dumb-bell crystal,
resembles cell dividing ; c, sheaf-shaped crystal not unlike palm-leaf.
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Fig. 7.—Phosphate of calcium crystals ; mostly thin, rhombic, radiating plates (a) ;
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some displaying a radiating and concentric (})
arrangement, as seen in the sections of the stems of plants, and in the bones of animals (J) (Plate v., p. 9).
Fig. 8.—Dumb-bell crystals (a) and rectangular plates (6) of uric acid.
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Fig. 9.— Uric acid precipitated from solution in sulphuric acid by water. Shows radiating, star-like, and other crystals, navmg
shapes similar to those seen in rudimentary plants and animals, esjiecially diatoms (Plate iv.).
Fig. 10.—Uric acid rhombs slightly acted upon by potash, showing nuclei.
Fig. 11.—Margarine, a, Fat cells' containing star-shaped masses of needles; b, star-like clusters of needles, these resemble
growing flat bone (parietal bone, for example).
Fig. 12.—Crystals of sugar of milk, displaying radiating and feathery, plant-hkc arrangements. .
Fig. 13.— Crystals of urate of calcium. Show spicular radiating (a) and spicular spherical (6) formations. Resemble palms m
plants, and sea-urchins in animals.
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Fig. 14.—Crystals of urate of magnesium. Afford examples of radiating bundles of spicules, assuming fan-like, hour-glass, and
Maltese cross shapes, common in plants and animals.
Fig. 15.—Steiirine crystals. Show soil nacreous laminte or needles presenting radiating, fiuwer-like arrangements.
Fig. 16.—Crystals of urate of sodium and anmionium. Show spheres with nuclei and concentric rings (a) ; one covered ^^lth
radiating needles (6), as with cilia. Natural radiating stellate forms, as in flowers and star-flsh, are seen at c and d. All these crystals
represent plant and animal types.
Fig. 17.—Crystals of oxalate of calcium, prepared with acid and showing dumb-bell and concentric and radiating arrangementji
(a, a). The same salt modified by double decomposition showing octahedrons (i). The concentric and radiating arrangements here
seen occu.r in great numbers in plants and animals and parts thereof, especially in developing embryonic cells (Plates Ixi., Ixii., and
Ixiii., pp. 154, 156, and 158) ; in transverse sections of the stems of plants and of animal structures (Plate v., p. 9). The concentric
and radiating arrangements are also seen in the lines of force obtained by the action of magnets on iron filings (Plates Iv. and Ivi.,
pp. 107 and 109). The dumb-bell and stellate crystals resemble cells dividing, and forms common in flowers and animals.
PLATE II
Selection of crystals to illustrate radiating, branched, segmented, and spiral arrangements, very common in plants
and animals. Some of these crystals are beautifully symmetrical ; symmetry of form being also a characteristic
of plants and animals.
Pig. 1.—Crystals of sulphooyanate of brucine, showing radiating arrangement of needles.
Fig. 2. —Margarine, showing radiating, starlike, and branched dendritic arrangements.
Fig. 3i —Radiating crystals of sulphate of calcium.
Fig. 4.—Radiating spicules of brucine, presenting a ilower-like appearance.
Fig. 5.— Spicules of narcotine exhibiting radiating, dendritic, flower-like forms. Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 exhibit the radiating
arrangement to perfection (see Plate Iv., p. 107, and Plates Ixii., Ixiii., ]ip. 156 and 158).
Fig. 6.— Bilifulvine. Natural. Human. Shows rhombs (a) and elegantly curved dendritic bundles of needles (b), essentially
plant-like in appearance.
Fig. 7.—Feathery or penniform crystals of magnesium ammoniujii pliosphate, dendritic in character.
Fig. 8.—Crystals of ammonium chloride, showing well-marked dendritic, branching arrangements similar to what are seen in
plants, in minerals and metals, and on window-panes during frost.
Fig. 9.—Crystals of uric acid of boa, artificially precipitated from solution in potash by hydrochloric acid. Show dendritic
formations similar to those seen at Fig. 8.
Fig. 10.—Symmetrical, six-rayed siiicule, often seen in sponges.
Fig. 11.—Stellate and leaf-like crystals of magnesium ammonium phosphate. Resemble star-fishes and certain flowers.
Fig. 12.—Crystals obtained from the cooling of a warm solution of ammonia. The more perfect crystals present a remarkably
regular, segmented appearance, not unlike a vertebral column.
Fig. 13. a, Crystals of gypsum, showing well-marked dendritic or branching arrangements similar to what are witnessed on
window-panes during frost, and in plants ; b, crystals of chloride of barium produced by adding gum to a solution of this substance
as a thickening medium. The crystals might well be mistaken for plants.
Fig. 14.—Dendritic, branched crystals of nitrate of barium, obtained by adding gum to a solution of this substance, and rapidly
evaporating in thin layers.
Fig. 15.—Crystals of phthalia anhydride, displaying a well-marked tendency to curve and branch as in plants.
Fig. 16.—Feather-shaped structure greatly resembling moss, and consisting of small rhombic crystals obtained from a watery
solution of C5Ha(CH3)2N02S03K4- iHjO (2 nitro 1-3 xylene 4 sulphonate of potassium).
F'iG. 17.—Plant-like structure consisting of individual crystals arranged on stalks and radiating in a non-symmetrical manner.
Obtained from an alcoholic solution of (C(jH2(CH3)2N02S03)2Zn-|-5^H20 (2 nitro 1-3 xylene 4 sulphonate of zinc).
Fig. 18.—Group of curling and branching crystals of permanganate of potassium. Magnified 300 diameters. Thev resemble
branches of trees in winter, and branching blood-vessels, bronchial tubes, &c.
Fig. 19.—Symmetrical, rosette-like, brandling crystals, obtained by dissolving camphor in alcohol or benzol and then evaporatinf.
Resemble flowers and star-fishes.
Fig. 20. —Rosette crystal of strontianite in which the individual crystals radiate from a common centre. Resembles deepsea
coral (Bathyadis symmetrica) ; growing flat bones (parietal bone, for example) ; the ends of vertebras, &c.
Fig. 21.— a, Aggregation of curling, hair-like crystals of dinitroparacresol, .showing incipient spirals (C|.H2(N02),CH (OH)
6, spiral, radiating, leaf-like crystals of styphnic acid (CflH(N02)3(OH)2) (2-4-6 trinitroresorcin). The leaflets are rectangular or oblique
bordered, and are always curled and much branched if the viscosity of the solution is diminished by the addition of alcohol.
Fig. 22. a. Beautiful symmetrical, segmented crystal of chloride of copper and chlorate of ammonia- b c graceful starlike
crystals of nitrate of sodium and rhombohedral nitrate of potassium ; d, club-shaped, stellate crystal similar to those obtained from
the solidification of saltpetre.