September 22, 192 1] 



NATURE 



135 



Societies and Academies. 

 Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, August 22. — M. Leon Guignard 

 in the chair. — J. K. de Feriet : Hypergeometric func- 

 tions of higher order with two variables. — R. Serville : 

 The tangential and radial resistance of a turning 

 body. Application to the isochronism of the conical 

 pendulum by a central force. — K. Ogura : The move- 

 ment of a particle in the field of a charged nucleus.- — 

 St. Procopiu : The depolarisation of light by liquids 

 holding crystalline particles in suspension. De- 

 polarisation is practically nil for pure liquids, very 

 small for non-crystalline suspensions or for substances 

 crystallising in the cubic system, and large for doubly 

 refracting suspensions. A solution of ferric chloride 

 is strongly depolarising, suggesting that the colloidal 

 particles are crystalline and doubly refracting. — P. 

 Dejean ; The transformation of iron at the Curie 

 point. From the experiments described it is con- 

 cluded that the apparent discontinuity produced in the 

 magnetic qualities at the Curie point can be explained 

 by a continuous action, either the progressive trans- 

 formation of an a form into a yS form, or, more 

 simply, the progressive separation of the elementarv 

 magnets by the gradual rise of temperature.— M. 

 Bridel and Mile. Marie Braecke : The presence of a 

 glucoside hydrolysable by emulsin in two species of 

 the genus Melampyrum. These plants blacken on 

 drying, and this is shown to be due to the presence 

 of a glucoside. This glucoside, on hydrolysis, gives 

 a black insoluble substance. It is possible that the 

 glucoside is aucubine. — M. Bezssonoff : The anti- 

 scorbutic principle in potato-juice extracted in pre- 

 sence of acids. The juice extracted from potatoes by 

 pressure possesses a very small antiscorbutic action. 

 As it was thought probable that the antiscorbutic prin- 

 ciple might under these conditions have been destroyed 

 by laccase, a small proportion of citric acid was in- 

 corporated with the potato before applying pressure. 

 The acidity in the juice thus obtained was sufficient 

 to inhibit the oxidising action of the laccase, and it 

 was found that the antiscorbutic action of this ex- 

 pressed potato-juice was much higher than that ex- 

 pressed without the addition of acid. — ]. Mascart : 

 Weather forecasts for long periods. — J. Politis : The 

 role^ of the chondriome in the defence of the plant 

 against parasitic invasion. — H. Ricome : The orienta- 

 tion of the stem.— St. Jonesco : Anthocyanidines in the 

 free state in the flowers and red leaves of some plants. 

 Proof that this red pigment exists in the free state 

 in red organs of plants. — A. Kozlowski : Saponarine in 

 Mnitini cuspidatum. 



September 5. — M. Georges Lemoine in the chair. — 

 S.^ Banach : Ensembles of points the differential co- 

 efficient of which is infinite. — J. Grialou : The irrota- 

 tional and permanent movement of a liquid, the trajec- 

 :ies being vertical and plane and the regime per- 

 ;ment. — A. Lumiere and H. Couturier : The relations 

 between the anaphylactic shock and the introduction 

 of precipitates into the circulation. The experiments 

 of Arthus on the introduction of an emulsion of bees- 

 wax into the veins gave results which appear to con- 

 tradict the physical theory of shock put forward bv 

 the authors. Additional experiments with the wax 

 emulsion are described, showing that this can also 

 cause anaphylactic shock if injected into the left 

 ventricle of the heart. The authors regard the experi- 

 ments of Arthus as affording additional confirmation 

 of their views as to the cause of shock. — J. Pottier : 

 Observations on the chromatic masses of the nuclei 

 and of the cytoplasm of the cells of the canal and of 

 the wall of the neck of the archegonium in Mnium 



NO. 2708, VOL. 108] 



undulatum. — N. Bezssonoff : A colour reaction common 

 to antiscorbutic extracts and hydroquinone. The 

 author describes a modification of the Folin-Denis 

 phenol reagent which gives a blue coloration with 

 plant extracts known to possess antiscorbutic power 

 and no coloration, or colour not blue, with plant ex- 

 tracts devoid of antiscorbutic power. It is not regarded 

 as proved that the blue colour is due to the anti- 

 scorbutic substance, since it may be caused by a poly- 

 phenol split off in solution from the vitamin C. Of 

 the numerous phenols tested the only one giving the 

 same blue colour proved to be hydroquinone. 



Edinburgh. 

 Royal Meteorological Society, September 7. — Mr. R. H. 

 Hooker, president, in the chair. — R. H. Hooker : The 

 functions of a scientific society, with special reference 

 to meteorology. The main functions of a society are 

 the discussion of discoveries, the formation of a 

 library, and the printing of technical papers. In spite 

 of the increase in Government institutions undertaking 

 original scientific investigations, there are more 

 scientific experts outside Government service than in 

 it, and the latter find the society a necessary means of 

 inter-communication in order to keep abreast of the 

 times. The spread of science among the greatest 

 number of people is one of the most important objects 

 of the society. The recent amalgamation of the 

 Royal and Scottish Meteorological Societies might 

 appear to curtail the opportunities of Scottish fellows, 

 but the present session in Edinburgh was intended to 

 be the forerunner of others. Also, local meetings 

 could be held at any centre where there were a 

 sufficient number of fellows within reach. — Dr. A. 

 Macdonald : Meteorology in medicine, with special 

 reference to the occurrences of malaria in Scotland. 

 The fundamental meteorological factor influencing 

 biological reactions is temperature. This influence is 

 universal in its application to organic life, and has 

 specific implication in the production of disease. The 

 role of temperature in the manufacture of diseases 

 due to the parasitic protozoa is dealt with in a con- 

 sideration of the temperature limitations of the 

 development of the sexual phase of the plasmodia of 

 malaria in the anopheline mosquito. The history of 

 the occurrence of malaria (ague) in Scotland is studied 

 in relation to temperature conditions that have pre- 

 vailed since early in the eighteenth century. Actual 

 recorded outbreaks are shown to coincide with ab- 

 normal high temperature over several months in con- 

 secutive years. Wars have been the main factor in 

 the introduction of malaria infection, which, although 

 powerless to establish the disease endemic in Scot- 

 land, will produce an outbreak when importation in 

 large volume coincides with a mean temperature of 

 60° F. continued over a period.— Dr. A. Crichton 

 Mitchell : The diurnal variation of atmospheric pres- 

 sure at Castle O'er and Eskdalemuir Observatory, 

 Dumfriesshire. The hourly values of atmospheric 

 pressure recorded at Eskdalemuir Observatory during 

 the ten years 1911-20 have recently been reduced, and 

 a comparison with those obtained by Dr. C. Chree 

 from the Castle O'er barograph records during 1902-8 

 show very considerable differences, although the 

 stations are close together. These differences are 

 orobablv due to unsuitable exposure of the Castle O'er 

 instrument and to its imperfect temperature com- 

 pensation. — Dr. S. Fujiwhara : The natural tendency 

 towards symmetry of motion and its application as 

 a principle in meteorology. "Any revolving system 

 in Nature tends towards symmetry within the limit of 

 its freedom." A special case of this principle is that 

 "when any revolving fluid lies near to a plane boun- 

 darv its axis tends to become normal to that boun- 



