270 ANNALS NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 



SECTION OF BIOLOGY. 

 February 5, 1906. 



The Section met at 8 : 30 P. M. at the American Museum of Natural 

 History, President Britton presiding. 



The minutes of the preceding meeting were read and approved. 

 The following program was then presented: 



F. S. Lee, Acid and Fatigue. (Illustrated by stereopticon.) 

 B. T. Terry, The SpiROCHiETE of Relapsing Fever. (With demonstra- 

 tions.) 

 0. W. Hahn, Proposed Biological Survey of New York State. 



Summary of Papers. 



Professor Lee presented the results of his recent studies on "Acid and 

 Fatigue." In previous communications to the academy, the author dis- 

 cussed the physical phenomena of fatigue and the relation to them of lack 

 of carbohydrate. The present paper presents the results of further re- 

 searches on the causation of fatigue. The physiological action on muscle 

 of sarcolactic acid, potassium sarco-lactate, mono-potassium phosphate 

 and carbon dioxide has been studied in detail. All of these substances 

 are markedly fatiguing, their action consisting in general of a diminution 

 of lifting power and a slowing of contraction. These substances, which 

 are produced during muscular activity, are rightly named fatigue sub- 

 stances. The author believes, moreover, that fatigue in many pathologi- 

 cal states, such as diabetes mellitus, fevers, carcinoma, anaemia, various 

 disorders of digestion and inanition, is largely due to the pathological 

 acids that are present and produce the so-called acid intoxication of these 

 diseases. He finds, for example, B-oxy-butyric acid, and its salts, which 

 are characteristic of diabetes mellitus, to be fatiguing, like the physiolog- 

 ical acid fatigue substances. Not unfrequently in pathological, as in nor- 

 mal states both lack of carbohydrate and accumulation of acid are present 

 as factors in the causation of fatigue. This is notably so in diabetes, fevers 

 and inanition. 



Dr. Terry gave a resume of recent work on the spirochsete of relapsing 

 fever. 



Dr. Hahn called attention to the proposed biological survey for the 

 state of New York. 



The Section then adjourned. 



M. A. BiGELOW, 



Secretary. 



