12 



NATURE 



{July 26, 1888 



fold sensitiveness of the bolometer is theoretically obtained. 

 All four coils lie inside a brass tube, and by turning a screw at 

 one time coils 1 and 3, at another coils 2 and 4 are 

 brought opposite the opening. In comparing the speaker's 

 experiments with those of Langley it appeared that the latter's 

 measurements were five times more delicate than those of the 

 speaker, a result which must however be entirely attributed to 

 the fact that Langley's galvanometer was twenty times more 

 sensitive. The speaker then expounded the theoretical efficiency 

 and conditions of perfect sensitiveness of the bolometer, and 

 compared with these the capabilities of a thermopile. Dr. 

 Fritz Kotter discussed some new instances for the application of 

 the Helmholtz-Kirchoff theory of stationary motion of fluids. 

 Prof. Gad gave some explanations in connection with his demon- 

 stration of the phosphorescent moss. Prof. Neesen spoke on 

 an ether calorimeter which he has succeeded in constructing in 

 such a form, after many experiments, that it presents many 

 advantages, when compared with an ice-calorimeter. It consists 

 of a tube for the reception of the object whose heat is to be 

 measured ; this tube is surrounded with a layer of lamp-wick 

 which dips into ether at its lower end. From the side of the 

 outer vessel a tube passes with appropriate bending to a hori- 

 zontal capillary tube containing as index some ether, and by a 

 parallel capillary tube to a second and similar calorimeter. 

 After the index has been adjusted, its movement, as resulting 

 from the vaporisation of ether due to the warm object, indicates 

 how much heat has been given up to the wick saturated with 

 ether. The sensitiveness of this calorimeter is 2000 greater than 

 that of an ice-calorimeter. The speaker has determined with 

 this instrument the specific heat of platinum, palladium and 

 copper, and also the heat produced by the passage of an electric 

 spark between a metallic point and a mass of mercury in the 

 tube of the calorimeter. The results were very satisfactory. The 

 special advantage of this instrument consists in the fact that 

 extremely small masses of any substance can be examined 

 calorimetrically. The extreme sensitiveness of the apparatus 

 makes it also suitable for the measurement of radiant heat. 

 The speaker has additionally examined other fluids as to their 

 suitability for a vapour-calorimeter, especially alcohol. 



Physiological Society, July 6. — Prof. Munk, President, in 

 the chair. — Prof. Zuntz described a simplified method of 

 measuring the gaseous interchange during respiration, intended 

 to make it possible to introduce such measurements into the 

 limits of clinical observations to the same extent that urinary 

 analysis is now carried out. In this method breathing is carried 

 on, the nose being closed, through a mouth-piece which is con- 

 nected by very mobile valves with gasometers, which thus 

 measure the volume of the inspired as well as of the expired air. 

 Samples of the expired air can be collected at any desired 

 intervals of time and the amount of O and C0 2 which they 

 contain determined by Hempel's method. The burette into 

 which the gas is drawn off by means of an aspirating apparatus 

 connected with the gas meter, is connected by a gutta-percha 

 pipe with a vertical tube which is partly filled with water : the 

 latter not only permits of the measurement, at atmospheric 

 pressure, of the volume of air drawn off, but also provides a 

 means of forcing it out of the burette into a pipette filled with a 

 solution of caustic potash, in which the absorption of the C0 2 

 speedily takes place. By lowering the tube the gas is allowed 

 to pass into the burette again, and the reduction in its volume 

 gives the amount of C0 2 in the expired air. After this the gas is 

 forced into a pipette which contains lumps of phosphorus which 

 absorb all the oxygen it contains in five or six minutes. On 

 passing the gas again back into the burette, the further diminu- 

 tion in its volume gives the amount of O in the expired air. A 

 new sample can now be taken, and thus the expired air may be 

 tested as often as may be desired for its contents of O and C0 2 . 

 Dr. Loewy has carried out some experiments with the above 

 apparatus on five intelligent persons in order to determine the 

 influence of digesting activity on the respiratory interchange. 

 The respiratory interchange of the patients was determined in 

 the morning while fasting and in a perfectly quiescent condition ; 

 as soon as this was found to be constant they received doses of 

 5, 10 or 15 grains of Glaubersalt, and as soon as the action of 

 the salt had manifested itself painfully, and increased peristaltic 

 action had set in, the respiratory interchange was again deter- 

 mined up to the time of defaecation. In all cases the gaseous 

 interchange was increased, more oxygen being used up and more 

 carbonic acid given out, the increase being between 7 and 30 



per cent, of the normal. The several persons behaved very 

 differently in this respect and the same person showed marked 

 differences in the increase of respiratory interchange at different 

 times, after equal doses of the salt. As a rule the increase was 

 proportional to the amount of discomfort experienced by the 

 patient in the lower parts of the body. Dr. Loewy is inclined 

 to attribute the increased oxydational interchange to the greater 

 activity of the unstriated muscles of the alimentary canal ; the 

 increased activity of its mucous membrane, resulting from the 

 presence of the purgative, appeared to have no influence. — 

 Prof. Munk gave an account of his experience last year while 

 using catgut as a ligature. After having used catgut for some 

 time as a substitute for silk, with excellent results, suddenly bad 

 results began to follow its use, so that each ligature was accom- 

 panied by suppuration. A series of control experiments showed 

 that the wounds healed well when silk was used, but never did 

 so with catgut, and inasmuch as the above change was first 

 observed after obtaining the catgut from a new source he pro- 

 ceeded to obtain the article again from the original source, and at 

 once found it worked successfully again. No matter how long 

 the second sample of catgut was disinfected its use was always 

 attended with suppuration. Prof. Munk has hence reverted to 

 the use of silk ligatures, and urges great caution in the use of 

 catgut in surgery. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS REC EIVED. 



Parish Patches : A. N. Simpson (Buncle, Arbroath). — The Senses and the 

 Will : W. Preyer, translated by H. W. Brown (Whittaker ).— A New Theory 

 of Necessary Truths : Leonard Hall (Williams and Norgate).— Camping 

 Out, or Holidays under Canvas : Gyp ; second edition (Simpkin). — A Biblio- 

 graphy of Chemistry for the year 1887 : H. C. Bolton (Washington).— 

 Bericht iiber die Thatigkeit der Botanischen Section der Schlesischen 

 Gesellschaft im Jahre 1887 : Dr. F. Cohn.— On the Structure, Development, 

 and Affinities of Trapella, Oliv., a New Gsnusof Pedalinaese : F. W. Oliver. 

 — Bulletins of the Philosophical Society of Washington, vols. ix. x. 

 (Washington). — Proceeding, of the American Philosophical Society, vol. xxv. 

 No. 127 (Philadelphia). — Botanische Jahrbiicher fur Systematic, Pflanzen- 

 geschichte, und Pflanzengeographie, Zehnter Band, 1 and 2 Heft (Leipzig). 



CONTENTS. page 



Scientific Assessors in Courts of Justice 289 



Langley's New Astronomy. By A. M. Clerke . . . 291 

 Soaps and Candles. By Dr. C. R. Alder Wright, 



F.R.S 292 



India in 1887 294 



Our Book Shelf :— 



Matthews : " Incwadi Yama ; or Twenty Years' 



Personal Experience in South Africa " 295 



Bert: " First Elements of Experimental Geometry " . 295 

 Letters to the Editor : — 



The Renewed Irruption of Syrrhaptes. — Prof. Alfred 



Newton, F.R.S 295 



Dr. Romanes' Article in the Contemporary Reviexv for 



June. — Edward B. Poulton 295 



The Thunder- Axe. — Edward Tregear 296 



The Dispersion of Seeds and Plants. {Illustrated.) — 



Consul E. L. Layard 296 



Indian Life Statistics. — Dr. Hyde Clarke 297 



Timber, and some of its Diseases. X. [Illustrated.) 



By Prof. H. Marshall Ward, F.R.S 297 



Earthquakes and how to measure them. By Prof. 



J. A. Ewing, F.R.S 299 



Does Precipitation influence the Movement of 



Cyclones? By H. Helm Clayton 301 



Notes 301 



Astronomical Phenomena for the Week 1888 



July 29— August 4 304 



Geographical Noteb 305 



Electrical Notes 305 



The Progress of the Henry Draper Memorial. By 



Prof. Edward C. Pickering 306 



Influence Machines. By J. Wimshurst 307 



Note on the Tarpon or Silver King (Megalops thris- 



soides). By Prof. W. C- Mcintosh, F.R.S 309 



Scientific Serials 309 



Societies and Academies 310 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received .... -312 



