IHE ALUMNI JOURNAL. 



319 



stances under definite and constant conditions, 

 the relative amount of digestive action was in- 

 increased a fraction of i per cent., though in 

 six cases there was a decrease in digestive 

 action. The amount of alcohol present did not 

 exceed one or two per cent., and if increased 

 there was a decided decrease in digestive 

 activity. Whisky, brandy, rum and gin give 

 practically the same results, and the investiga- 

 tors draw the conclusion that "hence whisky 

 can be considered to impede the solvent action 

 of the gastric juice only when taken immoder- 

 ately, and in intoxicating quantities " In so 

 far as relates to the digestion of albumin, 

 however, the report of the experiments is 

 claimed by a medical critic to lend support to 

 the idea that alcohol, in all the forms and doses 

 in which it is commonly employed, is detri- 

 mental to the digestive process. — Modern 

 Medicine, v., 196. 



Falsk Kola. 



There has recently been sent into the London 

 market from San Domingo, under the name of 

 kola nuts, some large kidney shaped seed;^, 

 about 2 to 2% inches long, i>^ wide, and about 

 % to T '4 inch thick, marked transversely with 

 a deep narrow sinus. The seed consists of two 

 cotyledons, apparently leguminous, and re- 

 sembles closely the seeds of Diniorphandra 

 (Mora) excelsa. They are said 'to be used in 

 the island as food for cattle. It is reported that 

 some tons of the seeds are at present in London. 

 Pharni. Joutn. 



Structurr of Alpine Plants. 



Herr W. V. Lazuiewski points out ('Flora,' 

 1S96, p. 24') that it is impossible to lay down 

 any general laws respecting the biological 

 adaptations of alpine plants to their surround- 

 ings, since the conditions in which they grow 

 vary so greatly; and this is true even of alpine 

 species of the same genus, as in Saxifraga. 

 The author distinguishes the following general 

 types of alpine plants: — (i) Plants with leaf- 

 rosettes, often forming dense cushions, such as 

 manv Cruciferse and Caryophyllactae, species 

 of Primula, Androsace, Saxifraga, etc.; (2) 

 Plants whose leaves are rolled up at the mar- 

 gins, e.g.. Erica carnea, Azalea proctimbens, 

 Enipetrum nigrum; (3) Plants witti deposits of 

 mucilage in the mesophyll or epiderm of leaves, 

 which protect them against excessive trans- 

 piration; Primula auricula, P. minitna. Gen- 

 tiana acaulis, G. imbricata, etc.: (4) Plants 

 with a more or less dense covering of hairs, e.g., 

 Potentilla ?iitida,Leontopodium,Alpinum many 



species of Gnaphalium, Artemisia, Achillea, 

 etc.; (5) Dwarf plants with woody prostrate 

 stems applied closely to the ground, as Azalea 

 proctimbens, alpine species of Salix. 



Rapid Measuring Pipette. 



E. L. Smith publishes an illustrated descrip- 

 tion of a devise for rapidly measuring and dis- 

 charging a definite volume of liquid, which is 

 claimed to possess advantages over a burette, 

 as the necessity of repeatedly filling the tube is 

 obviated, and there is but one mark to watch in 

 making the measurement. A wide-mouthed 

 bottle serves as the reservoir, and through the 

 stopper of this passes a short tube to admit air 

 and a siphon tube reaching to the bottom of the 

 bottle. The short tube is expanded at its outer 

 extremity and the funnel-shaped opening is 

 plugged with cotton-wool to filter the air. The 

 siphon is connected, by means of a rubber con- 

 nection provided with a pinch-cock, to a short 

 glass tube, which, in turn, passes through a 

 stopper inserted into the mouth of an ordinary 

 test-tube. Through a hole blown in the side of 

 the test-tube is passed a small glass siphon, 

 which is fastened in place by means of a piece 

 of rubber tubing, which just slips ever the 

 bent tube. On opening the pinch-cock liquid 

 from the reservoir enters the test-tube, and the 

 shorter leg of the small siphon must be of such 

 a length that 5 C.c. of liquid will be automati- 

 cally discharged when the level of the liquid 

 has reached a mark on a line with the top of 

 the bend in the siphon Xnhe.— Journal of the 

 American Chemical Society, xviii., 905. 



A New Antitoxin.— The Deutsche Medizi- 

 nische Wochenschrift, of Oct. 19, published 

 reports from Professor Behring and Privatdo- 

 cent Knorr upon a new tetanus antitoxin, 

 which they have discovered in the course of re- 

 rearches among the by-products of the higher 

 coloring processes. The discoverers express 

 the hope that by means of the new specific it 

 will be possible materially to reduce the per- 

 centage of deaths arising from traumatic tetan- 

 us. The antitoxin can now be obtained either 

 in the form of a solution for use as a remedy in 

 cases of traumatic tetanus in men or horses, or 

 as a dry preparation for prophylactic treatment. 



The Dutch Authorities in Java ba\e sanc- 

 tioned the founding of a research laboratory in 

 the Botanical Gardens at Buitenzorg at a cost 

 of 24,000 marks (^1,000 sterling).— /%ar./<?«r. 



