126 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [Apr.. 



ical teaching of the microscope would have died years ago. 



Lung fibers in phthisis sputumdiscovered before 1826. — 

 This is not an Amercan teaching. In 1826 Prof. Schroeder Van 

 der Kolk of Utrecht, Holland, published his "Observationes, 

 anatomici, pathologici et practici argumenti." These observa- 

 tions include lang fibres in the sputum of phthisis. He died 

 May 2, 1862 The authority for this is an autograph letter dated 

 Feb. 24, 1894 by Dr. G. P. Tienhoven of the Hague, physician 

 to the Queen of the Netherlands. Honor to the Dutch ! How 

 much we owe to them not only for the microscope but also foi 

 the accurate mode of detecting the breaking down of the lungs 

 not only in tuberculosis but also in fibroid })hthisis and fatty 

 degeneration. — E. Cutter, M. D. 



BIOLOGICAL NOTES. 



Irritability of Phycomyces nitens. — Dr. Elfving has pub- 

 lished a paper concerning the effect of different bodies upon the 

 sporangia-bearers of Phycomyces nitens (fur Kenntniss der pflan- 

 zlichen Irritabilitat. Sep. from Oefversigt af Finska Vel. — Soc. 

 Foerh. Haeft XXXVI, 1893). This action is either attractive 

 or repulsive ; from a distance of a couple of cms, iron and zinc 

 will cause the sporangia-bearers to curve so that the curved side 

 faces the active body. 



Errera explained the movements of said organs as hydrotro- 

 pism. Elfving publishes new experiments : If iron acts as a 

 hygroscopic body, we may expect to see the phenomenon most 

 plainly when the fungus is put under the influence of highly 

 hygroscopic bodies like calcium cloride and Ka. — But the spo- 

 rangia-bearers were not attracted by these bodies. 



A very hygroscopic plate of gypsum (80x33x10 mm.) dried by 

 100° C, and placed in an atmosphere saturated with water, in 

 the neighborhood of the sporangia-bearers had no eff'ect what- 

 ever upon the latter and condensed 1,665 gr. of water, while an 

 iron plate (surface 4950 mm^ ) produced the effect mentioned 

 above and condensed only 3.5 mgr. of water. 



Elfving assumes that tliese {)henomena are caused by molec- 

 ular movements. Highly polished steel and platinum have 

 very little effect upon the sporangia-bearers, but if these bodies, 

 for a long time, are exposed to direct sunlight, they become ac- 

 tive, i. e., the}' are brought into such a condition that tliey at- 



