December 22, 192 1] 



NATURE 



555 



190 1, dealing with the preservation of the virus, fal- 

 lacies to be avoided in experimental infection, and 

 the possibility of vaccination against the disease. — 

 C. Guichard : The infinitesimal geometry of the linear 

 complex. — M. Felix Mesnil was elected a member of 

 the section of anatomy and zoology in succession to 

 the late Edmond Perrier. — G. Julia : Meromorphic 

 solutions of certain functional equations. — W. Loth : 

 The solution of the problem of the direct^n of aero-,; 

 planes and dirigibles in mist or on dark nights. An;' 

 application of an electrical method already success, 

 fully applied to ships. — E. Carvalio : ElectromagnetisiB 

 and the principle of relativity. — M. de Broglie : Cor- 

 puscular spectra and their utilisation for the studv cf 

 X-ray spectra.— L. de Broglie : The degradation of 

 the quantum in the successive transformations; of 

 high-frequency radiations. — G. Reboul : A new radia- 

 tion of short wave-length. In an earlier commu^ca- 

 tion an account was given of some experimentt^ in 

 which a feebly conducting body traversed by a cur- 

 rent of electricity gave radiations marking a ^oto- 

 graphic plate. Further experiments show th* the 

 effects are not due to a new type of ray, fcut to 

 ordinary radiations of a wave-length intermediate 

 between the extreme ultra-violet and the X-rays. — 

 F. Michaud and A. Ballon! : The action of an electric 

 field on an insulating liquid. A discussion of some 

 results recently published by M. Bouchet.— L. Bril- 

 louin : The propagation of light in a dispersive 

 medium.— A. Pereira-Forjaz : The spectroscopic study 

 of a Portuguese meteorite. — A. Pereira-Fwjaz : The 

 spectroscopic studv of some Portuguese tungsten 

 minerals.— G. Petit, L. Marchand, and L. Jaloustre : 

 The general effects of hypodermic injections of 

 thonum-X upon the organism.— G. Centremoulins : 

 The rdle of metroradiographv in the establishment of 

 endoprothetic pieces in dead' bone.— E. Orandmougin : 

 The intermediate products in the svn thesis of alizarin 

 —P. Lebeau and M. Picon : The' action of sodam- 

 monmm on pyridine. The preparation of the hydrate of 

 tetrahydrodipyridyl.— P. Malvezin, C. Rivalland, and 

 L. Grandchamp: A new preparation of formald'ehvde 

 hydrosulphite and an economical gaierator of hvdro- 

 sulphurous acid. Zinc dust is suspended in formalde- 

 hyde solution and sulphur dioxide added through the 

 walls of a Chamberland filter ; a strong solution of 

 the zmc hydrosulphite formaldehvde is formed.— Mme. 

 Ramart : The molecular transposition accompanying 

 the dehydration of i : i-diphenvI-2 : 2-dimethVl-i- 

 propanol.— G. Deniges and R. Toai=rou : The micro- 

 chemical reactions of dulcine (^^thoxvphenvlurea).— 

 A._ Schoep : Curite, a new radio-active mineral. This 

 mineral was found with chalcolite in the Belgian 

 l;.ongo. Analysis proved it to be a lead uranate of 

 the composition 2PbO,5UO,,4H O. It is very radio- 

 active, and the name "curite^' i? proposed 'for the 

 mineral.— P. Russo : The fluvi J terraces of Kiss 

 ^5ebou and Ouergha (MoroccM.— E. de Martonne •' 

 ihe platforms of erosion of rhe Bihar Mountains', 

 Runiama.-MIIe. Y. B. de Black : Researches on the 

 Mindehan epicvcle in the higli vallev of Cere and on 

 ttie plateau of Lacapelle-Banez (Cantal).— E. Eble • 

 Ihe periodicity of the micrr....i=:mic agitation. It is 

 known that seismographs r. cord an almost uninter- 

 rupted movement of the earth's surface, consisting of 

 a succession of wa^ es of a period between 4 and 

 8 seconds and verv varinble amplitude. A rapid 

 examination of the records of the Pare Saint-Maur 

 Observatory has been made by giving a figure to each 

 hour of the dav, indicating by estimation the degree 

 of agitation. The scale adopted was arbitrary, calling 

 calm^ o, very agitated 4, analogous to the old classi- 

 fication of stars by magnitudes. Taking a period of 

 NO. 2721, VOL. 108] 



ten years a regular periodicity is shown, with a clear 

 minimum in July and a maximum, not so clear, in 

 /anuary or February. There is also a diurnal and a 

 -semi-diurnal variation. — J. Vallot : The measurement 

 of the influence of heat and light on the activity of 

 reduction by animal tissues and applications to helio- 

 therapy. The experiments show that the therapeutic 

 action of solar radiation is explained by the strong 

 increase of activitv of reduction by the tissues which it 



causes. P. Conrinont, A. Rochaix, and F. Lanpln : 



The rate and rhythm of disappearance of organic 

 matter in the course of the purification of sewage by 

 the method of activated sludge.— R. Sazerac and C. 

 Levaditi : The action of certain bismuth derivatives 

 on syphilis. Further clinical results have confirmed 

 the remarkable activity' of potassium tartarobismuthate 

 in syphilis, and experiments with other bismuth salts 

 are now recorded, including ammoniacal citrate of 

 bismuth, bismuth lactate, bismuth sub-gallate, and 

 bismuth oxviodogallate. All the bismuth preparations 

 are active against syphilis, but vary in toxic power 

 on the organism. From the point of view of human 

 therapeutics, the tartarobismuthate originally tried is 

 the best. 



Books Received. 



The Metallurgy of the Common Metals. Gold, 

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Comite Special du Katanga. Contribution a 

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 man. Pp. viii+cxliv+264. (Bruxelles : D. Reynaert.) 

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The Calendar : Its History, Structure, and Improve- 

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Benign Stupors : A Study of a New Mania — 

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The Provinces of Ireland. Edited by George 

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Town Theory and Practice. By W. R. Lethaby 

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Four-Figure Logarithms and other Tables. ^ By 

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Precis de Physiologic V^g^tale. By Prof. L. 

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Forestry for Woodmen. By C. O. Hanson. Second 

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Synthetic Tannins : Their Synthesis, Industrial 

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The Palace of Minos : A Comparative Account of 

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