810 



of aether are added to the fluid. All the bilirubin passes into the 

 mixtui'e of ice-vinegar and aether, which separates entirely from 

 the fluid underneath. If this yellow-coloured aether is pipetted and 

 placed in an ice-safe in a loosely covered watch-glass, we likewise 

 observe that crystals are formed. 



The accompanying picture is a micro-photograph of bilirubin 

 crystals which we obtained from the ascites-fluid of a heart-patient, 

 and from normal human serum. 



Attempts to produce bilirubin-crystals by the above-mentioned 

 method from the intensely yellow-coloured serum of two icterus- 

 patients, led to a remarkable experience. If namely we placed the 

 chloroform-solution which, as appeared from various reactions, con- 

 tained much bilirubin, in the ice-safe, for the purpose of a slow 

 evaporation, the yellow colour at a certain moment Avhen, owing to 

 the evaporation of the solvent the concentration had reached a certain 

 value, suddenly passed over into a green one, evidently by a change 

 of the bilirubin into biliverdin. The same phenomenon occurred 

 when we evaporated the chloroform-solution in vacuo. It must be 

 distinctly understood that this occurred only with the solution obtained 

 from the serum of patients suffering from obstructive jaundice. We 

 cannot give an explanation of this phenomenon. Most likely the 

 icterus-serum contains substances promoting the oxidation of bilirubin 

 into biliverdin. 



Botany. — '^Gummosis in the fruit of the Almond and the Peachal- 

 mond as a process of nor ma U if e." By Prof. M. W. Beijerinck. 



(Communicated in the meeting of September 26, 1914). 



It has hitherto been generally accepted that the formation of gum 

 in the branches of the Amygdalaceae always is a process of patho- 

 logical nature. I have found that this opinion is erroneous, and that 

 gummosis occurs normally in the fruits of the Almond {Amygdalus 

 communis) and the Peachalmond [Amygdalus amygdalo-persica) 



DUHAMEL DUMONCEAU. ^) 



1) In some Dutch nurseries the peachalmond is simply called "Almondtree". 

 The difference is in fact very slight as it consists only in the drying up of the 

 almond fruit before the epicarp opens, and tlie position of the flowers in pairs, 

 whereas the fruit of the peachalmond remains fleshy even at the dehiscence, and 

 its flowers are mostly single. Between leaves, flowers and branches no con- 

 slant differences are found. 



Grenier et GoDRON (Flore de France T. 1, Pag. 512, 1848) call the peach- 



