5 i4 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



in the study of the putrefaction products from proteins. Allied 

 to this subject were his investigations of the various guanidine 

 condensation products, such as the melamines. 



For the purpose of his pharmacological investigations he had 

 occasion to synthesise various ketone derivatives of phenol, 

 and he showed that these bodies could be obtained by the 

 condensation of fatty acids with phenols in the presence of 

 zinc chloride. Various substances of importance for the manu- 

 facture of aniline dyes were thereby obtained. 



In connection with this work Nencki applied the use of 

 ferric chloride as a condensing reagent in place of the 

 previously used aluminium chloride ; by the action of acidyl 

 chlorides on various aromatic derivatives in the presence of 

 ferric chloride he succeeded in obtaining a series of ketone 

 derivatives. 



Although Nencki published a large number of papers on 

 organic chemistry, the latter form but a subordinate portion of 

 his work. A few of the more important results are indicated 

 in the above lines. 



The morphological studies on bacteria were devoted to the 

 investigation of the bacterial flora of the digestive tract, and 

 also to the various organisms connected with infectious diseases. 

 His official position in Switzerland led him to investigate the 

 various bacteria connected with diseases of the udder of goats ; 

 from St. Petersburg he was sent by his Government to the 

 Caucasus to investigate Rinderpest, and he undertook various 

 researches with the object of preparing an immunising serum. 

 He was also officially entrusted with investigations in connection 

 with cholera and diphtheria. Closely allied with these researches 

 were his investigations on the efficacy of antiseptics, to which 

 reference will be made again later. 



Physiological Chemistry. 



By far the most important part of Nencki's work was 

 devoted to the chemical elucidations of biological problems, 

 and it is proposed to consider his influence on this branch of 

 science in some detail. 



As already mentioned, the influence of Liebig when he 

 commenced his scientific career was paramount in this branch 

 of science, which up till then had attracted but few workers. 



At that time there was no journal devoted exclusively to 



