Physiology". "'On the Electric yebulae of Antipyretica ." By 



Prof. H. Zwaardemaker and Dr. H. Zeehuisen. 



(Gommunicaled in the meeting of February 23, 1918). 



Two years ago *) one of ns called attention to the excess of elec- 

 trical charge, positive or negative, appearing when a solution of odor- 

 ous substances in water is sprayed. Other publications on the same 

 subject have appeared since*). However, a superficial preliminary 

 investigation showed at the very outset not only that odorous sub- 

 stances possess this remarkable property, but also that a number of 

 other physiologically active, pure, chemical substances produce the 

 same, though less appreciable electi-ical effect '). 



Nebular electricity is generated by odorous substances, saponins 

 (odorous as well as inodorous), glycosides (most often slightly odorous), 

 alkaloids (odorous as well as inodorous), antipyretica (odorous as 

 well as inodorous), and a few more groups of other physiologically 

 active substances that will be reported afterwards. In order to evolve 

 the electrical phenomenon a substance, added to water, and 

 sprayed with it, will have to satisfy some conditions, which seem to be: 



1^"^. it should be soluble in water; 



2"<^. it should lower the surface-tension; 



3'^^ it should volatilise, when spread over a large evaporation 

 area. 



No electrical charge is evoked in any concentration by anorganic 

 salts and acids, glycerin, sugars (provided they be pure), dextrin, 

 lecithin, albumin, etc. 



In the present communication we propose to discuss more in 

 detail the electrical phenomenon of antipyretica, which we shall 

 classify into three groups: 



Ï) These Proceedings, Vol. 19 p. 44. 



2) Ibid. Vol. 19 p 334, 351. Archives Neerlandaises de Physiologie t. 1. p. 347. 

 E L Backman. These Proc Vol. 19 p. 943, Pflüger's Archiv Bd. 168 p. 351; 

 G. HuYER, De olfactologie van aniline en homologen. Diss. Utrecht 1917. 



') These Proc, Vol. 19 p. 840, H. Zeehuisen, 3e Physiologendag, Dec. 1917. 

 (Proc. not out yet. Vide Ned. Tijdschr. v. Geneesk. 1918). 



