GENEVA SOCIETY OF PHYSICS AND NATURAL HISTORY. 233 



the animal in about two hours and a half, with circumstances similar to 

 those caused by morphine or any other narcotic. If two cubic centime- 

 tres of the blood of a dog, the vena porta of which has been tied, are 

 inserted in a frog, and in another frog the same quantity of the blood 

 of a dog intact, at the end of three hours the first frog will be dead, 

 while the second will be in good condition. M. Schifif concluded from 

 this that the action of the liver destroys the nicotine, and that there is 

 constantly produced in the digestive organs of man and of animals a 

 poisonous substance which would destroy them in a very short time if 

 they were not continually saved by the action of the liver. 



Professor Zahn submitted to the examination of the society a prepa- 

 ration of the costal cartilage of man, showing a jiigmentary infiltration 

 of the cells. This infiltration is a new characteristic of this cartilage, 

 and has not been mentioned in any treatise on pathological anatomy, 

 although M. Wechl and M. Wirchow have both mentioned the pigmen- 

 tation. It is four years since M. Zahn first noticed this infiltration ; 

 since then he has often observed it 5 it exists in half the men over forty 

 years of age. General pigmentation has been observed by him only in 

 two cases of severe ictarus. {Archives, 1877, t. 58.) M. Schiff adds that 

 he has been able to produce this pigmentation by the slow compression 

 of the biliary livers. 



Dr. Prevost has given a description of a case of aphasia observed in 

 a young girl, who, although attacked with a right hemiplegia, retained 

 all her intelligence. The aphasia continued after the hemiplegia disap- 

 peared, and the patient could pronounce words only when she sang them. 



Professor Plantaraour drew the attention of the physiologists to the 

 difference in the power of perception of the transit of stars according to 

 the inclination of the head. He remarked this fact several times, and 

 again recently during some observations made with Colonel Orflf, who 

 having difficulty in seeing on account of the position of the eye-glass, 

 bent more or less his head. The result was a very noticeable difference 

 in the appreciation of the transit of stars. 



M. H. Fol gave an account of his researches in regard to the fecun- 

 dation of eggs, especially of sea-urchins. Tlie details of these remark- 

 able researches may be found in several articles. {Arcliives, 1877, t. 58, p. 

 439; Comptes rcndus de VAcadcmie des Sciences de Paris, 1877, t. 84, p. 

 2G8, 357, and 059.) 



M. V. Fatio has made known certain variations in species among 

 fishes, such as alterations in the form of the mouth on account of the 

 medium in which these animals live, as well as correlative modifications 

 in various parts of the body. 



5. Botany. — Professor Candolle has given some details of a work he 

 has just completed relative to the family of Smilaeece. This is a part of a 

 work entitled Monographice Fhanerogamarum, which he prepared with his 

 son and several other assistants. This family is well defined by its char- 

 acteristics, and is divided into three genera : Heterosmilax, Sniilax, and 



