Dec. 29, 1887] 



NATURE 



15 



M. A. Cornu. The regulating apparatus introduced into hi^ 

 system of synchronizing clocks by M. Cornu, and objected toby 

 M. Wolf as useless and even inconvenient, is shown to be free 

 from these drawbacks, and in fact indispensable for strict 

 accuracy. To these remarks M. Wolf replies that the system at 

 work at Greenwich for twenty-seven and in Paris for seventeen 

 years dispenses altogether with any such arrangement as that 

 proposed by M. Cornu. — On the cause of the deviation of the 

 arrows indicating the direction of the'wind on synoptical charts 

 of cyclones, by M. Faye. This deviation is traced entirely to 

 the friction or resistance of the ground over which the cyclone is 

 moving, and harmonizes in no way with the erroneous hypo- 

 thesis of ascending cyclones. It is greater on land than at sea, 

 and imperceptible in the case of waterspouts and true tor- 

 nadoes. It also diminishes with the distance from the centre of 

 the cyclone, disappearing altogether near the central calm. — On 

 the state of the sulphur and phosphorus present in plants, in 

 the ground, and in cultivated soil, and on their quantitative 

 analysis, by MM. Berthelot and Andre. Having already 

 studied the relations of potassium and nitrogen to the vegetative 

 functions, the authors here deal in the same way with 

 sulphur and phosphorus. The question is treated especially 

 with a view to determining and analyzing the complementary 

 manures best suited for restoring the fertility of exhausted lands. 

 — Note, by M. Albert Gaudry, on the discovery of a gigantic 

 turtle by Dr. Donnezan. This specimen was found, with nume- 

 rous other fossils, in the Middle Pliocene of Perpignan during 

 the recent excavations connected with the erection of the fortress 

 of Serrat in the Eastern Pyrenees. The carapace, i '20 metre 

 long, was extracted with great difficulty from the hard rock in 

 which it was completely embedded, the innumerable fragments 

 being carefully put together by Dr. Donnezan, by means of 

 about a thousand brackets. This turthe, which he has named 

 Tesiudo pcrpiniana, and which he has presented to the Paris 

 Museum, considerably exceeds its living congeners, being equal 

 in size to the T. grandidier, a sub-fossil species found in Mada- 

 gascar. Its survival down to the close of the Middle Pliocene 

 is important for the study of the Glacial period, tending to show 

 that the south of France even then still enjoyed a warm climate. 

 — Experiments with a new hydraulic machine employed for 

 irrigating-purpo^es, by M. A. de Caligny. By means of this 

 apparatus, which is a modified form of that described by the 

 author in . the Coviptcs rendus for December 18, 1882, water 

 with a normal fall of 2*40 metres may be raised to a height of 

 9'45 metres above llie level of the uppers ream. — On the degrees 

 of oxidation of cliromium and manganese in their fluorescent 

 compounds, by M. Lecoq de Boisbaudran. With a view to 

 solving this question the author describes certain experiments 

 which he has made chiefly with alumina and chromium, 

 gallina and chromium, magnesia and chromium, alumina, 

 potassa, and manganese, lime and manganese ; confining him- 

 self for the present to a statement of the facts observed. 

 — Elements and ephemeris of the planet Anahita, 270, by 

 M. E. Viennet. By means of the ephemeris deduced 

 from the already published provisional elements the author 

 has been enabled to compare all the observations made down 

 to November 16, and thus determine six normal places for 

 October 12, 15, 18, 21, 27, and November 16. With ihese 

 fresh elements an ephemeris has been calculated, by which 

 astronomers will be enabled to observe the planet down to the 

 end of the present opposition. The magnitude should then be 

 about 1 1 or 12. — On the value of the solar parallax deduced from 

 the observations taken by the Brazilian Missions daring the 

 transit of Venus in 1882, by M. Cruls. From the reports of the 

 observations made at tlie three stations of St. Thomas (West 

 Indies),01inda (Brazil), and Punta-Arenas (Strait of Magellan), 

 the horizontal equatorial parallax of the sun at its mean distance 

 from the earth is found to be 8" "848 — o"o40 = 8" '808. The 

 reports are now nearly printed, and copies may soon be expected 

 in Europe. — On the specific heat of tellurium, by M. Ch. Fabre. 

 These experiments show that under its several forms tellurium 

 possesses much about the same specific heat, at least at a tem- 

 perature of 100° C. or thereabouts. But the differences may 

 possibly increase at higher temperatures, and especially near the 

 point of transformation from amorphous to crystallized tellurium. 

 — Study of a specimen of Welsh coal, by MM. Scheurer-Kestner 

 and Meunier-Dolfus. This was a piece of the so-called 

 " Nixom's Navigation," from Glamorgan, which the authors 

 undertook to examine for Mr. Donkin, and which was found to 

 be so pure that it yielded 88 per cent, of hard bright coke, 4"39 



of hydrogen, and not more than '69 of sulphur. — On sidereal 

 evolution, by M. Ch. V. Zcnger. 



Berlin. 



Physiological Society, December 2, —Prof, du Bois Rey- 

 mond, President, in the chair. — Dr. Salomon spoke on the 

 physiological action of paraxanthin. Since Fisher's researches 

 have thrown light on the chemical constitution of caffein and 

 theobromin, and shown that the former is trimethyl-xanthin, 

 the latter dimethyl-xanthin, experiments on the physiological 

 action of caffein, theobromin, and xanthin have acquired an 

 increased interest. All these substances produce a double effect 

 when given to a frog — namely, one on the central nervous sys- 

 tem, and a curious effect on the muscles, which pass into rigor ; 

 the three substances exhibit these properties in graduated dej^ree, 

 a fact which is sufficiently explained l)y the close relationship of 

 their chemical constitution. It hence appeared to the speaker to 

 be a matter of some importance to investigate the physiological 

 action of the two xanthin-derivatives which he had found in 

 urine — namely, paraxanthin and heteroxanthin. From his re- 

 searches it appears probable that paraxanthin was also a 

 dimethyl-xanthin, that is, an isomer of theobromin ; hetero- 

 xanthin, on the other hand, had only been obtained in such 

 minute quantities that its chemical constitution could not be 

 determined, but Dr. Salomon suggested that it might be the 

 missing member in the above series of xanthin-derivatives — 

 namely, monomethyl-xanthin. When the somewhat insoluble 

 paraxanthin was administered locally by subcutaneous injection, 

 it produced a stiffness and rigor of the neighbouring muscles : 

 when given in larger doses, some of the animals became slug- 

 gish and died, but in many cases they remained uninjured. 

 When given internally, paraxanthin rarely led to any appearance 

 of poisoning, but, when it did, the effect was limited to a stiffen- 

 ing of the fore-limbs and a general sluggishness of the whole 

 animal. Paraxanthin, therefore, exhibited a physiological action 

 analogous to that of the other xanthin-derivatives. Paraxanthin 

 also possesses a distinct action on the respiratory apparatus, 

 since, in all cases in which any effect was produced, the lungs 

 were found to be strongly inflated. He was unable to examine 

 the action of heteroxanthin, from the smallness of the quantity 

 in which it can be obtained. — Dr. Baginski demonstrated the 

 reducing action of certain Bacteria, using, as a reagent, methyl- 

 ene-blue, which becomes colourless by reduction. The Bacteria 

 were obtained from the intestines of healthy cows. Both Bac- 

 teriu/n lactii and Bactfriuvi colt produced a powerful reducing 

 action in pure cultivations, where the nutrient fluid was coloured 

 with methylene-blue ; in those places where oxygen had access 

 the blue colour reappeared. A third Bacterium discovered by 

 the speaker exhibited no reducing power. — Prof. Gad ex- 

 plained, on behalf of Mr. Donaldson, the method introduced 

 by Prof. Martin, of the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, 

 of isolating the mammalian heart, and of making observations 

 on its activity for several hours, when isolated from the body 

 and connected only with the lungs. The defibrinated blood 

 which flows from the aorta passes into two Mariotte flasks which 

 are in communication with each other, and thence into the right 

 auricle. By means of this arrangement it can be shown that the 

 heart, when separated from all its nerve-;, works quicker when 

 the temperature of the blood is raised, and slower when it is 

 lowered. An increase of pressure in the aorta was found to be 

 without any effect, whereas an increased venous resistance in- 

 creases the cardiac activity. It could not be shown that the 

 heart exerts any suctional action during its diastole. 



Meteorological Society, December 6. — Prof, von Bezold, 

 President, in the chair. — The President drew attention to Prof. 

 Hann's two most recent publications, namely, the "Atlas of 

 Meteorology" and "The Barometric Pressure in Middle and South 

 Europe according to Observations extending over Thirty Years," 

 and gave a short account of their contents. ^ — Dr. Assmann gave 

 an account of the experiments he has carried on during the last 

 year and a half with a view to determining the true temperature 

 and humidity of the air. After describing the methods previously 

 used to determine the true temperature of the air and his own 

 unsuccessful attempts before he arrived at a satisfactory result, 

 he explained the principle of the thermometers as finally em- 

 ployed, and demonstrated the same by exhibiting several of 

 them. These instruments consist of a fine sensitive mercurial 

 thermometer, of which the small bulb is surrounded by a highly 

 burnished cylinder of nickel-plated brass, open at the lower end. 



