220 



NATURE 



{July 6, 1876 



ject does not admit of a brief abstract.— Another valuable paper 

 on this subject, by Du Bois-Reymond himself, is commenced in 

 this part. It constitutes the second part of his researches 00 

 negative variation of the muscular current during contraction, 

 and must be consulted by all workers in this difficult branch of 

 research. — Dr. Wenzel Grliber has five papers, some of consider- 

 able length, on various anomalous muscular dispositions. Such 

 papers should be condensed as much as possible. 



The two last numbers of the Nuovo Giornale Botanico 

 Ualiano are chiefly occupied with Italian botany. — Among 

 papers of more general interest we have a description by A. 

 Mori, of the structure of the wood of Periploca grceca ; and two 

 by Prof. Caruel : — On the flowers of Ceratophyllum, in which he 

 describes the peculiar contrivance for the fertilisation of the 

 female flowers, the rigid leaves apparently serving as the channel 

 of transport for the pollen ; and observations on Cynomorium, 

 in which several points in the structure of the flower are detailed, 

 and the author gives his adhesion to Dr. Hooker's suggestion of 

 a possible genetic connection between Balanophoreae and Halo- 

 rageae. 



Zeitschrift der Oesterreichischtn Gesellschaft fiir Meteorologies 

 March 15. — The first article is by Prof. Tomaschek, of Briinn, 

 on mean temperatures as thermal constants for vegetation. The 

 law, formerly pointed out by him, of the dependence of the 

 commencement of blooming, on the height of daily mean tem- 

 peratures, appears not only not to be shaken, but to be sup- 

 ported by an mvestigation of the results for the exceptional year 

 1862. — The next article is by Dr. Hann, on the results of 

 observations on Mount Washington and Pike's Peak. During 

 very cold weather, the change of temperature with height is less 

 than usual, amounting only to about 0*3° C. for each loo metres, 

 so that the equilibrium of the air vertically must be at such times 

 very stable. The mean decrease with height in the dry climate 

 of Pike's Peak is somewhat greater than in the Alps and at 

 Mount "Washington. The daily and monthly ranges are exces- 

 sive on the elevated plains. Dr. Hann greatly regrets the im- 

 practicable form in which the reports have been published, 

 considering the desirabihty of having the actual observations for 

 Pike's Peak and Colorado Springs, tWo stations better situated 

 for meteorological purposes than any others in the world, accom- 

 panied by the proper data and corrections, which are here 

 Wanting. — In the Kleinere Mittheilungen we find a description 

 of Redier's self-registering barometer. 



yournalde Physique, February. — This number commences with 

 the first part of a paper by M. Jamin, describing his recent 

 researches on magnetism. He gives an account of his methods 

 of observation, offers some theoretical ideas on the nature of 

 magnetism, and discusses magnetic conductivity and distribution 

 in a thin plate. — In a note on meteorology applied to agriculture, 

 M, Marie Davy gives some interesting tables with reference to 

 changes observed in wheat at different dates (the relation of 

 transpired water to the temperature and actinometric degree, 

 the weight of constituent substances, proportion of nitrogen in 

 stalk, &c. ). He considers that by the end of May or beginning 

 of June, according to locality, one may generally deduce from 

 meteorological data the probable value of the coming harvest, 

 save in the case of exceptional perturbations, whose injurious 

 action is circumscribed. — M. Duter investigates the distribution 

 of magnetism in circular and elliptical steel plates. 



Gazzetta Chimica Italiana, 1876, fascicolo ii. — This part 

 commences with a paper by G. Pisati in continuation of former 

 researches entitled : — On the elasticity of metals at different tem- 

 peratures. In this paper the author treats of the elasticity of 

 torsion at various temperatures of wires of silver, iron, steel, 

 copper, brass, gold, platinum, and aiuminium. The apparatus 

 employed is figured, and the results shown in many cases 

 graphically by means of curves. — On the production of ozone 

 during the evaporation of water, by G. Bellucci. — The modifica- 

 tions of starch in plants, by M. Mercadante. — Synthesis of 

 propyl-isopropyl-bcnzene, preliminary note by E. Paterno and 

 P. Spica. This hydrocarbon, of v/hich the formula would be 



SO TT 

 CH ^C H ^^^ ^^^'^ prepared by the aition of zinc 



ethyl on cumene chloride. It is a liquid a little lighter than 

 water boiling at about 205° — 208°. Other hydrocarbons boiling 

 at a high temperature are also produced during the reaction. The 

 authors propose to continue their researches. — The absence of 

 leucine in the product of the germination of graminacese, by M, 

 Mercadante. — The remainder of the part is devoted to abstract! 

 of papers from foreign sources. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 



London 



Royal Society, June 15. — " Researches illustrative of the 

 Physico- Chemical Theory of Fermentation, and of the conditions 

 favouring Arcbebiosis in previously Boiled Fluids." By H. 

 Charlton Bastian, M.A., M.D., F.R.S., Professor of Patho- 

 logical Anatomy in University College, London, and Physician 

 to University College Hospital. 



The author first calls attention to the fact that no previous 

 investigator has professed to have seen well-marked fermentation 

 set up in urine that had been boiled for a few minutes, if it has 

 thereafter been guarded from contamination. The previous in- 

 variable barrenness of this fluid after boiling has been ascribed 

 by germ-theorists to the fact that any organisms or germs of 

 organisms which it may have contained were killed by raising it 

 to the temperature of 212° F, (100° C). 



In executing some of the experiments with urine described in 

 this communication, two chemical agents have been brought into 

 operation under novel conditions, and an ordinary physical in- 

 fluence has been employed to an entirely new extent. In several 

 respects, therefore, these new experiments differ much, as regards 

 the conditions made use of, from those hitherto devised for 

 throwing light upon the much-vexed questions as to the possible 

 origin of Fermentations independently of living organisms or 

 germs, and as to the present occurrence or non-occurrence of 

 Archebiosis. 



The chemical agents employed under new conditions in these 

 experiments were liquor potasses and oxygen — both of them being 

 well known as stimulants, if not as promoters, of many fermenta- 

 tive processes. 



It has been recognised by several investigators of late years 

 that neutral or slightly alkaline organic fluids are rather more 

 prone to undergo fermentation than slightly acid fluids. This 

 fact may be easily demonstrated. As the author pointed out in 

 1870, if two portions of an acid infusion are exposed side by side 

 at a temperature of 77° F. (25° C.) fermentation may be made 

 to appear earlier and to make more rapid progress in either of 

 them by the simple addition of a few drops of liquor potasste ; 

 on the other hand, if a neutral infusion be taken and similarly 

 divided into two portions placed under the same conditions, fer- 

 mentation may be retarded, or rendered slower in either of them 

 at will, by the simple addition to it of a few drops of acetic or 

 some other acid. 



A neutral or faintly alkaline organic solution can in this way 

 be demonstrated to possess a higher degree of fermentability 

 than an otherwise similar acid organic solution. It seems, there- 

 fore, obvious that the changes capable of taking place in boiled 

 acid and neutral solutions respectively should also vary consider- 

 ably. Numerous experiments by different observers have demon- 

 strated the correctness of this inference. Boiled acid infusions 

 guarded from contamination mostly remain pure and barren it 

 kept at temperatures below 77° F. (25° C. ), though other in- 

 fusions similarly treated and similar in themselves, except that 

 they have been rendered neutral by an alkali, will oftentimes 

 become corrupt and swarm with organisms. The latter result 

 follows still more frequently with neutral infusions when they 

 are exposed to a higher generating temperature in the warm-air 

 chamber ; and under this stronger stimulus a small number of 

 boiled acid fluids will also ferment. 



On the other hand, the influence of oxygen in promoting fer- 

 mentation has been fully appreciated since the early part of the 

 present century. Formerly an influence was assigned to it as an 

 mitiater of fermentation as all-important as some chemists assign 

 to livmg gerais at the present day. But this was a very exaggerated 

 view. In some fluid.i, as the auttior has shown, fermentation may 

 be initiated just as freely, or even rather more so, in closed vessels 

 from which the air has been expelled by boiling, as in others in 

 which atmospheric air, and consequently oxygen, is present. 

 The explanation of this fact is probably to be found in the sup- 

 position that, in starting the fermentation of these fluids, diminu- 

 tion of pressure may be of as much, or even of more importance 

 than contact with free oxygen. In respect to other organic 

 fluids, however, the influence of oxygen seems decidedly more 

 potent as a co-initiater of fermentation than that diminution of 

 pressure which is brought about by hermetically sealing the 

 vessel before the fluid within has ceased to boil. Urine will be 

 found to be an example of this latter class of fluids. 



The physical influence which has been employed in unusual 

 intensity in the present researches is heat. 



