I9I3] Alfred P. Lothrop 457 



cotton saturated with beef-broth-peptone-glycerol culture medium. 

 Free access of air between the cotton fibers supplies the conditions 

 for a brilliant light and at the same time an excellent means of 

 handling the bacteria. A wisp of cotton strongly phosphorescent 

 with bacteria was placed in a very thin walled glass tube about 2 mm. 

 in diameter and attached to a thermometer bulb as for melting- 

 point determinations. On slowly raising the temperature, the Hght 

 (to a dark-accustomed eye) becomes dim at 30°, very dim at 34°, 

 and disappears at 38°. On lowering the temperature the light 

 weakens at 0°, is very dim at — 7° and disappears at — ii-5°. 

 These values agree best with those given by Lehmann for Bacterium 

 phosphorescens and do not greatly exceed the usual temperature 

 hmits of activity of organisms. 



Bacteria raised to 38°, and then cooled, phosphoresce only very 

 dimly, but, as first obsen'ed by Macfayden (an experiment which I 

 have repeated), glow brilhantly at room temperature even after an 

 exposure to liquid air. 



68. Metabolism studies of amaurotic family idiocy. A. 

 Hymanson (by invitation) . (Chemical Lahoratory, Beth Israel 

 Hospital, New York City.) Two cases of amaurotic family idiocy 

 were kept under Observation until death. The metabolism of 

 nitrogen, sulfur and phosphorus was carefuUy studied. It was 

 found that both absorption and retention were normal or above 

 normal. The digestive System does not seem to be at all deranged 

 in this fatal disease. 



69. A micro-Kjeldahl apparatus. Max Morse. (Boardnian 

 Laboratories, Trinity College, Hartford, Conn.) This is a com- 

 bination of the apparatus designed by Fritz Pregl^ [Plate 6] 

 for total nitrogen determination in small quantities of material, 

 and the fume absorber devised by Folin and Denis.'' The apparatus 

 may be equally serviceable with that devised by Sy.^^ With such 

 a means of eliminating fumes, the determination of total nitrogen 

 may be carried on wherever the water-pressure is sufficient to 

 maintain an ordinary filter-pump in action; in conjunction with the 



'Pregl: Abderhalden's Handbuch der biochemischen Arbeitsmethoden, 1912, 

 V, p. 1344- 



' Folin and Denis : Journal of Biological Chemistry, 1912, xi, p. 503. 

 '"Sy: Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, 1912, iv, p. 680. 



