The Microscope. Its History, Construction, and Application 15th ed. / Being a familiar introduction to the use of the instrument, and the study of microscopical science

by Jabez Hogg

Absorption Spectrum of Chromule.

In 1869 I published in the Journal of the Royal Microscopical Society[38] a paper on results obtained by the spectrum analysis of the colouring-matter of plants and flowers, some of which were of considerable interest in many respects. My examinations extended to several hundred different specimens, from which I was led to conclude that the chromule of flowers is, for the most part, due to the chemical action of the actinic rays of light over the protoplasm of the plant, more so than to that of soil. But as certain roots of plants, as those of the alkanet, yield their colouring-matter to oil, and in a much smaller degree to spirit or water, it follows then that conclusions of any kind can only be drawn after a long and careful study of the question. Some of the results obtained were, however, of some interest at the time, that, for example, seen in three different solutions of the chlorophyll of Cinchona succirubra, one of three solutions in alcohol, scarcely coloured, having in fact only a faint tinge of green colour, and the spectrum of which much astonished me at the time. It gave four well-marked absorption-bands; one deep sharp line in the red; another, rather narrower, in the orange, coincident with D, or the sodium-line; one in the green, about b, coincident with the Thallium green band; and a fourth on the blue line F, nearly as broad as that in the red. The ethereal solution gave different results. It showed only three bands of absorption, nearly the same as in the last case (though all of them fainter); but the fourth in the blue was not apparent, the whole of that end of the spectrum being absorbed a little beyond the green line b. This solution was deep emerald-green, and even dilution did not alter the phenomena. The acid alcoholic solution was as deeply green as the last, but gave only the sharp broad absorption-band in the red, and two very faint ghostly bands in the position described above of the D and b lines respectively.

Further additional researches on the chlorophyll of plants furnished curious results, the chlorophyll being dissolved out by alcohol, digested for some hours, and without heat; some plants being fresh, and others dried. Five classes of phenomena exhibited themselves, but all agreed in having the red absorption-band broad, sharp, and well defined, some having this one band only, the Lilac being of this type.

There are two classes in which two absorption-bands occur. One has the red and the orange bands, of which the Fuchsia, Guelder-rose, and Tansy are examples; another, in which the red and the green bands are alone co-existent. Ivy is the type of the class, and it is immaterial whether we take last year’s leaves or those of the early spring; the results are the same.

The fourth class consists of the two former spectra superposed. Three lines occur, the red, the orange, and the green bands, at C, D, and b, as before. This is by far the largest class, and I have thirty or forty examples of it. Œnothera biennis, Laurestinus, &c., are types with the ethereal solution of the leaves of Red Bark.

The fifth class consists of those having properties similar to the alcoholic solution of Red Bark described. But I only found eight of these, and not all equal in colour power, namely: Berberry, Sloe, Tea, Hyoscyamus, Digitalis, Senna, and Red Bark. The results obtained appeared at the time to be well worth following up to a more practical conclusion than that arrived at. It should be noted that in the preparation of vegetable colouring matters for the micro-spectroscope, care must be taken to employ only a small quantity of spirits of wine to filter the solution, and evaporate it at once to dryness at a very gentle heat, otherwise if we attempt to keep the colouring matters in a fluid state they quickly decompose. It is necessary also to employ various re-agents in developing characteristic spectra. The most valuable re-agent is sulphite of soda. This admits of the division of colours into groups.

It is better to use a dilute alcoholic solution for the extraction of colour from plants, and to observe the spectrum in a column of about three-quarters of an inch in height. By this means it is quite possible to ascertain that the spectrum of chlorophyll presents seven distinct absorption bands.

For further information on this interesting subject I must refer the reader to Mr. Sorby’s paper “On a Definite Method of Qualitative Analysis of Vegetable and Animal Colouring Matter by means of the Spectrum Microscope,” “Proc. Roy. Soc.,” No. 92, 1867.