Unpublished paper, 'On the influence of white light, of the different coloured rays, and of darkness on the development, growth and nutrition of animals' by Horace Dobell

Description

Dobell presents details of a series of experiments with the aim of discovering what influence is exerted by ordinary light, by the different coloured rays, and by darkness on the development, growth, and nutrition of animals. After referring to the experiments of Edwards, Higginbottom, E Forbes, Morren, Wöhler, Hannon, Moleschott, and Béclard, the results of which were shown to be somewhat contradictory, Dobell shares the precautions he has taken to avoid sources of fallacy. The original experiments detailed in this paper were conducted in the years 1855-1858. The subjects selected were the ova and larvae of the silkworm ( Bombyx mori) and of the common frog (Rana temporaria).

Includes one diagram of Dobell's apparatus for experiments on tadpoles.

Subject: Biology

Received 10 January 1859. Read 17 February 1859. Communicated by James Paget.

Whilst the Royal Society declined to publish this paper in full, an abstract of the paper was published in volume 9 of the Proceedings of the Royal Society as 'On the influence of white light, of the different coloured rays and of darkness, on the development, growth, and nutrition of animals'.

A version of this paper was published by Dobell in the Journal of the Franklin Institute: Dobell, Horace. 'On the influence of white light, of the different colored rays, and of darkness, on the development, growth, and nutrition of animals.' The Journal of the Franklin Institute, volume 70, number 3 (1860), pp. 178-180.

Reference number

AP/42/8

Earliest possible date

December 1858

Physical description

Ink on paper

Page extent

37 pages

Format

Diagram
Manuscript