232 



NATURE 



[December 14, 



I .■ ( 1 I 



can be no que«>tion of their being exceptional artefacts or 



distortions, such as may »om»?tiinfs simulate almost any- 

 thin^;. Division of thf inononu<-l«-ar variety of leufocytes 

 is produced and studied the most easily. 



In films in my possession numerous examples of dividing* 

 moiionucitars fixed at ail staj{fs demonstrate* (tojjjether 

 with obs'Tvations of the jelly pn-parations) tlu- following 

 steps in the process. In a few minutes after the blood is 

 drawn from the subject and mounted the round, so-called 

 nucleus becomes oval and then kidney- or bean-shaprd, 

 leading on rapidly to the outline of two circles cuttin)> 

 each other, and, lastly, touching each other in a " figure 

 of eight." When the process is about half complete, and 

 if the direction of division is parallel to the surface of the 

 ielly or glass, another phenomenon is seen. .About four 

 to eight finger-like processes, radiating from the point mid- 

 way between the centres of the two circles, are protruded 

 or divided off, giving the whole bo<ly roughly the appear- 

 ance of an ant, of which the head and abtlomen are 

 simulated by the two spheres and the legs by the processes 

 just mentioned. Such forms are numerous and character- 

 istic ; but, of course, when the direction of division happens 

 to lie at an angle to the surface, they are foreshortened, 

 or may be distorted by the pressure of the jelly. .As the 

 division proceeds the processes are retracted into each 

 daughter sphere, until the final figure of eight is produced. 



If polychrome methylene blue is put in the jelly the 

 cells become coloured progressively as the division advances. 

 kx first, after a few minutes, the so-called cytoplasmic, or 

 .Mtmann's, granules take a purple tinge ; then the so-called 

 nucleus becomes a pale blue, and last of all the so-called 

 nucleolus is stained, after which, apparently, the cell dies. 

 .As the so-called nucleus proceeds to take the hour-glass 

 and figure-of-eight forms, strands of coloured substance are 

 seen, especially in the fixed films, passing between the two 

 daughter spheres, and such connections are maintained 

 until complete dissociation occurs. The behaviour of the 

 so-called nucleolus is not easy to follow, because, as just 

 noted, it does not stain until the cell dies and further 

 division is checked. On the other hand, the behaviour of 

 the so-called cytoplasmic granules must be described as 

 very curious. In the middle of the division they are 

 found to number about eight (when they can be 

 easily counted) and to lie, each one, at the end of 

 one of the finger-like processes mentioned above ; 

 and appearances suggest that half of each granule is 

 distributed to one daughter cell and the other half to 

 the other daughter cell. No distinct chromosomes are seen 

 at any stage inside the so-called nucleus ; and there appears 

 to be no sign of astral fibres, though perhaps the finger- 

 like processes may be interpreted as being bunches of these 

 fibres which have not been rendered individually visible by 

 the process of staining employed. On conclusion of the 

 process the so-called cytoplasmic granules appear to be 

 equally distributed between the two daughter cells, and to 

 place themselves on the outer surface of the so-called 

 nucleus of each, that is, in the position in which they 

 were seen in the original parent cell. Apparently asym- 

 metric forms are also frequently seen, but need not be 

 described here. 



Such seem to me to be the facts .n> oh^. rved bv mvself 

 in preparations shown or given to nie by Mr. Ross and 

 Dr. Cropper. I will not touch here upon the similar 

 divisions of the so-called polymorphonuclear leucocytes, 

 which have also been already described and figured bv Mr. 

 Ross. Nor will I attempt to reconcile the observations 

 with current cytological teaching, even as regards the 

 division of leucocytes. Very probably different methods of 

 staining may bring them, at least partly, into closer con- 

 formity. Though engaged for years in the study of blood 

 I have never seen these forms before, nor, indeed, have I 

 ever seen in anv ordinary preparation what could certainly 

 be called a dividing leucocyte. I have been shown bodies 

 claimed to be such ; but these are admittedly so rare that 

 they are open to the usual logical fallacies connected with 

 very exceptional observations. The obser\-ations here re- 

 ferred to are not open to these fallacies. .As I have said, 

 the dividing forms are so numerous and characteristic that 

 we can have no doubt that they reallv are dividing forms — 

 whatever other observations or theories may be on record. 

 It sooms to me. therefore, that we nr^ now rompelled to 



admit two new facts: — (i) that large numbers of huma: 

 leucmytes can be mudt- to divide in vitro; and (2) that thi 

 division occur* entirely, or at least specially, in the |»re8en« • 

 of certain chemical substances. 



In 1900 J. l.oeb showed that parthenogenesis can l^- 

 induced in the egg« of sea-urchins (.Arbacia) by the additio! 

 of a definite proportion of MCI, to w-a water ; and sin< • 

 then many workers have studied such phenomena amon. 

 other animals, while Wassiliefl has used hyosryamin- 

 nicotine, and strychnine for similar researches. The in 

 dependent observations now recorded would appear !■ 

 extend cognate principles to body cells by showing th;.' 

 the division of leucocytes may be suddenly forced on at ' 

 great rate and in a few minutes by the absorption <>: 

 presence of appropriate chemical agents, and may perhaj) 

 Ix- inhibited by other chemical agents. The author add-' 

 some remarks on the application of these obs»'rvations i 

 the genesis of tumours, and a discussion followed. 



UMVEKSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



Oxford. — Mr. W. Bateson, F.R.S., honorary fellow «>( 

 St. John's College, Cambridge, and director of the John 

 Innes Horticultural Institution at Merton, Surrey, ha^ 

 appointed the next Herbert Spencer lecturer. The - 

 of the lecture, which is announced to be given on \\tuii> ~ 

 dav, Februarv 28, 1012, will be " Biological Fact and tlv 

 Structure of Society." 



The following courses of lectures and laboratory instrui 

 tion in mathematics, astronomy, and physical science hav- 

 been announced for next term, which begins on Monda\ , 

 January 22, 1912 : — Prof. Esson, F.R.S., will lecture on 

 tne comparison of analytic and synthetic methods in tb- 

 geometry of conies ; Prof. Love, F.R.S., on rigid dynamic- 

 Prof. Elliott, F.R.S.. on elliptic functions and on th- 

 theory of numbers; Prof. Clifton, F.R.S., on optics and 

 .acoustics; Mr. J. Walker, on double refraction an<l 

 polarisation of light. Practical instruction in phxsics will 

 be given bv Prof. Clifton, Mr. J. Walker, ^i^. I. O. 

 Griffith. Mr! O. F. Brown, and Mr. G. H. Clough. Prof. 

 Townsend, F.R.S., will lecture on electromagnetic induc- 

 tion ; Mr. E. S. Craig, on mechanics and physics. Prac- 

 tical instruction in the electrical laboratory will be givt r 

 bv .Mr. F. B. Pidduck. Mr. E. S. Craig. .Mr. H. T. Tizar.i 

 Mr. S. Smith, and Mr. W. B. Gill. Prof. C. F. Jenki.i 

 will lecture and give practical instruction on strength of 

 materials and thermodynamics ; Mr. D. R. Pye will lectuf 

 on drawing, for engineering students ; Prof. H. H. Turner 

 F.R.S., will lecture on element.ary mathematir;. 

 astronomy. 



Dr. H. Bassett, demonstrator and assistant lecturer i: 

 chemistry at the University of Liverpool, has been 

 appointed professor of chemistry at University Col leg* . 

 Reading. 



Dr. W. R. Boyce Gibson, lecturer in philosophy at tl^ 

 University of Liverpool, has been appointed by the counc : 

 of the University of Melbourne to the chair of mental and 

 moral philosophy. 



The President of the Board of Education has appoint. .1 

 Mr. L. .A. Selby-Bigge, C.B., to be permanent secretary < 

 the Board when that post is vacated by Sir Robert Morani. 

 K.C.B., on his appointment to the Insurance Commission. 

 .Since 1908 Mr. Selby-Bigge has been principal rK-i'.i;!!!! 

 secretary of the elementary branch of the Board 



The council of the Royal Horticultural Socit ; . 

 quested the following gentlemen to act as a committee i' 

 inquire into the desirability of establishing a Nation.ii 

 Diploma in Horticulture, and to recommend what steps, if 

 anv. should be taken for the purpose: — the Rt. Hon. -A. H. 

 Dvke -Acland. Prof. W. Bateson. F.R.S., Mr. E. A 

 Bowles, Mr. F. J. Chittenden. Prof. J. B. Farmer. F.R.S 

 Mr. C. R. Fielder. Mr. W. Hales. Mr. J. Hudson. Prof 

 Keeble, Sir Daniel Morris. Lieut. -Colonel D. Prair. 

 F.R.S. . Mr. H. J. Veitch. and Mr. W. P. Wright. 



The London County Council has arranged to hold ii 

 sixteenth annual Conference of Teachers on three day?. 

 Thursdav, January 4, Friday, January 5, and Saturday, 



NO. 2198, VOL. 88] 



