COLOURATION OF Ri'.i'TILKS AND AMPUIEIANS. 2/1 



that time 1 put it into water and fotind that directly it was wet 

 the scarlet patches, which had completely faded, reappeared. 

 These scarlet patches, therefore, are not due to the presence of 

 actual pigments, but to the infiltration of liquid between layers of 

 tissue which normally are in close contact. The sudden ap])ear- 

 ance of these spots on alarm is a kind of blushing in which appar- 

 ently colourless lymph and not blood is concerned. 



In conclusion, I must express my grateful thanks to Mr. 

 John Hewitt, for his kind advice and help in the arrangement of 

 this paper : without his assistance these notes would not have 

 l)een published. 



National Research in America. — Major R. A. 



Millikan, \'ice-Chairman of the United States National Research 

 Cotmcil. has issued a condensed statement reviewing the 

 Council's activities. Much o'f this work has been allocated to 

 various committees. The physics committee has delegated to a 

 number of groups over 20 large problems, some of which, in- 

 cluding the location of aircraft by sound, and the development 

 of improved methods for measuring muzzle-velocities, have now 

 been solved ; the chemistry committee has perfected an 

 elaborate organization for handling all chemical problems arising 

 in the army and navy ; the psychology committee has formu- 

 lated a vast programme for the selection of officers for the army 

 and the classification of drafted men ; the medical committee 

 has engaged many medical men in medical research problems 

 and in the sanitary work of the army ; the engineering committee 

 has perfected devices for protecting ships from submarines. (Jn 

 the recommendation of the nitrate committee the Government 

 is spending large sums on the erection of a nitrate plant ; the 

 gas warfare committee has had 120 chemists working for six 

 months on the problems of gas warfare ; the optical glass com- 

 mittee has developed the production of optical glass in six months 

 from nothing to 20,000 pounds a month, and in two months 

 more this figure will increase two to three-fold ; the psychiatry- 

 committee has established a laboratory for studying shell-shock, 

 and the foreign service committee has saved months in putting 

 the United States abreast of the European situation regarding 

 modern scientific methods in warfare. 



