720 



PHYSIOLOGY. 



sure is a very great rise. In the case of the 

 special subject of the paper the flow of the cere- 

 bro-spinal fluid was accelerated by all the circum- 

 stances enumerated as raising the cerebral capil- 

 lary pressure. The increase of flow is, moreover, 

 accompanied by a decrease in the percentage of 

 solid matter. The results of injecting into animals 

 cerebro- spinal fluid removed from cases of brain 

 atrophy, especially from cases of general paralysis 

 of the insane, were studied by Dr. Halliburton and 

 Dr. Mott. The fluid contains a toxic substance, 

 choline, which is supposed to be derived from the 

 disintegration of lethicin in the brain. Injec- 

 tion of such fluid into the jugular vein of animals 

 anesthetized with ether causes a marked lower- 

 ing of arterial blood pressure, which is partly 

 cardiac in origin, but principally due to the local 

 action of the poison on the neuro-imiscular ap- 

 paratus of the peripheral vessels, especially in 

 the splanchnic area. The fluid obtained from the 

 present case was also injected in a similar way, 

 with negative results. 



Glandular System. The structure of the 

 prostate gland has been studied and is described 

 in detail by Dr. George Walker, of Baltimore, who 

 has also paid particular attention to the func- 

 tion of the organ. On this subject he has ob- 

 served that in the fluid taken from the testes of 

 the dog the spermatozoa were motionless, and 

 also that there was no movement in those from 

 the head of the epididymis. Slight movements 

 might be observed in the fluid from the tail of 

 the epididymis, especially in those parts where 

 the fluid was thin. There were very slight move- 

 ments in the fluid contained in the vas deferens, 

 except where the fluid was of thinner consistence. 

 Distinct but not very lively movements were ob- 

 served in a mixture of semen from the testes and 

 the prostatic secretion. Only in a mixture of se- 

 men from the epididymis with the prostatic fluid 

 did the spermatozoa present lively and persistent 

 motion. The author endeavored to ascertain the 

 functions of the colliculus seminalis which has 

 been thought by some to undergo a kind of erec- 

 tion and thus to occlude the urethra, preventing 

 the passage of the semen into the bladder during 

 emission. He was unable to substantiate this 

 view, but believes that the organ may interfere 

 with the contraction of the sphincter vesical ex- 

 ternus of Henle. The longitudinal fasciculi of the 

 membranous portion of the urethra by their con- 

 traction dilate the distal segments of this por- 

 tion of the urethra, and this tends to drive the 

 semen forward by a process of exhaustion. 



Experiments by J. R. Bradford on the effects of 

 partial removal of the kidney upon metabolism 

 show that excision of a wedge from one kidney 

 tends in most cases to be followed by a variable 

 amount of atrophy of this kidney, whether the 

 second kidney be removed or not ; that excision of 

 a part of one kidney or even of portions of both 

 kidneys is an operation not followed by death, 

 even up to the removal of approximately two 

 thirds of the total kidney weight, and often there 

 is no great disturbance of health, except a vari- 

 able amount of wasting, generally transitory and 

 slight in duration; that if approximately three 

 quarters or more of the total kidney weight 

 be removed prolonged survival is impossible, 

 death occurring in from one to six weeks. Death 

 is apparently dependent rather upon the quan- 

 tity of kidney substance removed than upon 

 any mutilation inflicted by the operative pro- 

 cedures. After summarizing the effects of ne- 

 phrectomy upon the urinary substance and pro- 

 cesses, the author suggests that when the amount 

 of available kidney substance is greatly reduced, 



the tissues of the body, and more especially the 

 muscles, rapidly break down and liberate urine. 

 He has no observations to show whether this is 

 dependent upon the cessation of the action of an 

 internal secretion that is supplied normally by 

 the kidney. 



Two cases of pathological thyroid structure at 

 the base of the tongue are reported by Dr. H. 

 L. Williams, of Philadelphia. In one case the 

 growth was about an inch and a quarter wide 

 and an inch thick, oval, rounded, and smooth on 

 the surface, except at the top. where it was super- 

 ficially ulcerated and covered with a whitish 

 membrane. A small portion was removed, and 

 showed, in addition to the signs of inflammation, 

 typical thyroid structure containing colloid ma- 

 terial. It was situated in the same position as 

 the growth just mentioned, and was but little 

 smaller. It was soft and spongy in appearance, 

 surrounded by a fibrous capsule, and showed a 

 delicate reticulum of fine filaments extending 

 through it in all directions. The surface was red- 

 dish, in some areas whitish, glistening, and re- 

 sembled the thyroid gland. The microscope 

 showed a network of acini separated by a delicate 

 reticulum of connective tissue. The acini were 

 as a rule dilated and cystic, and filled with colloid 

 material. The diagnosis of cystic thyroid ti in- 

 undergoing colloid degeneration was established. 

 An embryological explanation of thyroid ti tic 

 thus sitimted is suggested by the author. 



Miscellaneous. Experiments made by Prof. 

 W. O. Atwater under the auspices of the l"niied 

 States Department of Agriculture, Weslcyan t'ni- 

 versity. and the Storrs Experiment Station had 

 for their purpose the study of the laws of nutri- 

 tion, and particularly the inquiry whether alcohol 

 was capable of taking any part in that function. 

 The experiments were continued for from four to 

 twelve days each, while the subject of them lived 

 day and night in the chamber of the calorimeter. 

 Of six experiments made with a variety of dict- 

 aries which are reported upon, alcohol \\a- made 

 a part of the diet in two. All the food and drink 

 supplied to the body, and all the excretory prod- 

 ucts given off from it, even to the air before 

 and after it was breathed, were measured and 

 analyzed. Further, the energy Intent in the ma- 

 terial supplied to the body and in the excretory 

 products given off, as well as the energy tran- 

 formed by the body and given off in the 'form of 

 heat, were carefully determined. The income and 

 outgo of energy were thus exactly ascertained. 

 When results had been obtained showing what 

 amount of food material was required for the 

 maintenance of the body of the subject when at 

 rest, and how much more was nece^ary to en- 

 able him to perform a measured amount of mus- 

 cular work, a certain quantity of the fuel const it u- 

 ents of the food was taken out and a chemically 

 equivalent amount of alcohol was substituted* 

 The daily portion included about two and a half 

 ounces of absolute alcohol, and was administered 

 systematically. The results of this .fulminist ra- 

 tion showed that the alcohol was as completely 

 oxidized within the system as any ordinary food; 

 that in this oxidation all of the potential en 

 of the alcohol burned was transformed into h.-at 

 or muscular energy: and that the alcohol pro- 

 tected the material of the body from consumption 

 as effectively as the corresponding amount - of 

 sugar, starch, and fat. These result - \\-ere con- 

 firmed by those of a number of other experiment-* 

 made afterward, which were practically identical. 

 Different forms of alcohol tried on different sub- 

 jects gave substantially the same results. The au- 

 thor utters a caution against the hasty-drawing of 



