19 



12. In Zi/gnema cruciatum (he lialves of the nuclear plate develop 

 already to daiigliter-nuciei within the niicieai' spindle, and before 

 they reach the poles. That part of the S])indle which lies between 

 the daughter-nuclei increases in circumference, so that the spindle 

 becomes peculiar in shape. 



The results obtained by Miss Merriman, Escoyez and myself differ 

 very greatly. This may partly be ascribed to the circumstance that 

 different species of Zygnema were investigated. To a much greater 

 extent the differences must be assigned to other causes, in particular 

 to a different interpretation of observations. The observations them- 

 selves however, are also sometimes different and perhaps notahvays 

 complete. Also the fixing agent and the method of investigation may 

 contribute to the divergence between the results of different inves- 

 tigators. Escoyez, for example, observed a perinucleolar cavity, whilst 

 I, using an other method of fixation observed no such cavity. Miss 

 Merriman and Escoyez both believe they have seen ring-shaped 

 nnclear-plates, whilst I came to a different conclusion, using a 

 method hy which (he nuclear-plates could be observed edgeways as 

 well as sideways. 



It seems to me desirable that the various investigators should 

 endeavour to complete their observations on Zygnema, and extend 

 them to more species and also should ai)ply different methods of 

 investigation. Exchange of material might also be very useful. Some 

 such action would be conducive to agreement, which will not be 

 readily obtained by other means. 



Physiology. — - "On the change in the permeahiUty of the red blood 

 corpuscles (also in man/'. (A contribution to the knoioledge 

 of chlorine-retention in feoer ^). By I. Snapper. (Communicated 

 by Prof. Hamburger). 



(Communicated in the meeting of April 25, 1912). 



It has been known for a long time that in a number of febrile 

 diseases an important change in the excretion of chlorine is to be 

 observed. Undei- normal circumstances, all the chlorine which is 

 taken up wdth the food leaves the body within 24 hours, not so, 

 however, in the abo\'e mentioned diseases ; though the patients take 

 daily 5 or 6 grammes of NaCl, only some hundreds of milligrammes 



1) A detailed account of these researclu^s will be published in the Biochemische 

 Zeilschtift, and in the Zeilschrift fur Klinische Medizin. 



2* 



