454 



NATURE 



\_Sept. 8, 1887 



artificially prepared penta-niethylene-diamine. A short time ago 

 Dr. Bocklisch published {Ber. 1887, p. 1441) the results of his 

 researches upon the products of the action of Finkler's bacillus 

 {Vibrio proteus) upon sterilized flesh, showing that this bacillus 

 decomposes flesh with formation of the alkaloid cadaverin, 

 C5H14N2, which is non-poisonous, and ammonia. On repeating 

 his experiments, however, in presence of ordinary putrefaction 

 germs in addition to the Finkler bacilli, he made the remarkable 

 discovery that an entirely different base, methyl-guanidine, of 

 intensely poisonous properties, was the chief product ; hence 

 the symptoms of particular diseases may be due to the poisonous 

 alkaloids formed by the joint action of specific bacilli and 

 ordinary putrefaction germs. Bocklisch made several analyses 

 of the cadaverin which he obtained in the first series of experi- 

 ments, due to the action of pure cultivations of the Vibrio 

 proteus, and showed that its hydrochloride forms a crystalline 

 compound with mercuric chloride of the composition C5HJ4N2. 

 2HC1.4HgCl2, and as this differed somewhat from the composi- 

 tion formerly assigned to the artificial preparation byLadenburg, 

 the subject was involved in some doubt. Happily, Ladenburghas 

 made fresh and purer preparations of his penta-methylene- 

 diamine, and finds that its compound with mercuric chloride has 

 precisely the composition assigned to the double chloride of 

 mercury and cadaverin by Bocklisch. Hence cadaverin is con- 

 clusively proved to be none other than penta-methylene-diamine, 

 and, consequently, must be added to the list of products of 

 animal life which h ave been S3'nthesized. The formation of 

 these alkaloids, during disease or after death, has a most im- 

 portant bearing upon the treatment of cases of suspected poison- 

 ing, inasmuch as, whether poisonous or not, their reactions differ 

 very little from those of the deadly alkaloids ; and in the interests 

 of justice it is to be hoped that our knowledge of this branch of 

 organic chemistry may soon be rendered as complete as possible. 

 Messrs. Macmillan announce the following scientific works 

 for the forthcoming publishing season : — " Electricity and 

 Magnetism," by Amedee Guillemin, translated and edited, with 

 additions and notes, by Prof. Silvanus P. Thompson; "The 

 Nervous System and the Mind," by Charles Mercier ; " Popular 

 Lectures and Addresses on Various Subjects in Physical Science," 

 by Sir William Thomson; "Radiant Light and Heat," by 

 Balfour Stewart, F. R.S. (the last three belonging to the Nature 

 Series); "Kinematics and Dynamics," by J. G. Macgregor ; 

 ^'Geometrical Conies," by A. Cockshott and Rev. F. B. 

 Walters ; " A Treatise on Analytical Statics," by I. Todhunter, 

 F.R.S., a new edition, revised by Prof. J. D. Everett, 

 F.R.S. ; "A Key to Mr. Todhunter's Conic Sections," by 

 C. W. Bourne; "A Key to some Examples in Messrs. 

 Jones and Cheyne's Algebraical Exercises," by Rev. W. Failes; 

 "A Key to Mr. Lock's 'Arithmetic for Schools,'" by the 

 Rev. R. G. Watson; "A Companion to * Weekly Problem 

 Papers,'" by the Rev. John J. Milne; "A Key to Dr. 

 Todhunter's Treatise on the Differential Calculus," by H. St. J. 

 Hunter; "A Treatise on Chemistry," by Sir H. E. Roscoe, 

 F.R.S., and C. Schorlemmer, F.R.S. (Vol. IV. Part L) ; 

 "Algebra for Schools and Colleges," by Charles Smith; 

 "The Elements of Chemistry," by Ira Remsen ; "Absolute 

 Measurements in Electricity and Magnetism," by Andrew 

 Gray ; " A Practical Text-Book of Pathology," by D. J. 

 Hamilton; "A Course of Quantitative Mineral Analysis for 

 Students," by W. Noel Hartley, F.R.S. ; "School Course of 

 Practical Physics," by Prof. Balfour Stewart, F.R.S., and 

 W. W. Haldane Gee (Parti. "Electricity and Magnetism); 

 "Examples in Physics," by D. E. Jones; "Inorganic 

 and Organic Chemistry," by Sir Henry E. Roscoe, F.R.S., and 

 Prof. C. Schorlemmer, F.R.S. (Vol. III. "Organic Chemistry," 

 Part IV.) ; "Greenland," by Baron A. E. von Nordenskjold ; 

 and "Corea," by W. A. Carles. 



Messrs. Swan Sonnenschein and Co.'s announcements 

 of new books include the following works: — "The Micro- 

 scope," edited from the work of Profs. Naegeli and Schwen- 

 dener, by Frank Crisp and J. Mayall, Jun. ; " Animal Biology," 

 by Adam Sedgwick; "British Fishes," by F. A. Skuse ; 

 "Mammalia," by F. A. Skuse; "Reptiles," by Catherine 

 Hopley; "Ants and Bees," by W. Harcourt Bath (the last 

 four in the Young Collector Series) ; "The Solomon Islands 

 and their Natives " and "The Geology and Physical Charac- 

 teristics of the Solomon Islands," with maps, by Dr. H. B. 

 Guppy. 



Messrs. Longmans announce the following works of scien- 

 tific interest : — "The Literary Remains of Fleeming Jenkin, 

 F.R.SS.L. and E., late Professor of Engineering in the Uni- 

 versity of Edinburgh," edited by Sidney Colvin, with a Memoir 

 by Robert Louis Stevenson; "Picturesque New Guinea," by 

 J. W. Lindt ; "A Manual of Operative Surgery, having 

 Special Reference to many of the Newer Procedures," by Arthur 

 E. J. Barker; "A Course of Lectures on Electricity, delivered 

 before the Society of Arts," by George Forbes, F.R.S. 



Messrs. Kegan Paul and Co., London, and Messrs. 

 Appleton and Co., New York, will publish shortly the Hon. 

 Ralph Abercromby's work on " Weather" as a number of the 

 International Science Series. This will be the first book in the 

 English language which deals exclusively with the nature of 

 weather changes from day to day, as distinguished from the 

 climatic or statistical treatment of the subject. There will be 

 ninety-nine charts and diagrams, of which a considerable number 

 will relate to the United States, and others to India and 

 Australia, so as to illustrate the nature of weather on the widest 

 possible basis. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Pig-tailed Monkey {Macacus nemestrinus) 

 from Sumatra, presented by Mr. B. Lynch ; a Fettered Cat {Felis 

 maniadata), a Spotted Eagle Owl {Bubo mactdosus), a Hoary 

 Snake {CoroneUa catia), four Spotted Slowworms {Acotdias 

 melcagris) from South Africa, presented by Dr. E. Holub, 

 C.M.Z.S. ; a Carrion Crow [Corvus corone), British, presented 

 by Mrs. MacLochlin ; a Martinique Gallinule {lonornis mar- 

 tinicus), captured at sea, presented by Mr. R. Drane ; two 

 African Lepidosirens {Protopterus annectens) from the River 

 Gambia, West Africa, presented by Mr. H. H. Lee ; a Malabar 

 Parrakeet {Palceornis coluinboides S ) from Southern India, a 

 Malaccan Parrakeet {Palceornis longicatida i ) from Malacca, a 

 Laughing Kingfisher {Dacelo gigantea) from Australia, de- 

 posited ; a Tiger Bittern ( Tigrisoma brasiliense) from Brazil, 

 purchased ; a Red-faced Ouakari ( Brachyurus rubiciindm 9 ) 

 from the Upper Amazons, received in exchange ; a Collared 

 Fruit Bat {Cynonycteris coUaris), born in the Gardens. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 



Brooks's Comet.— Mr. H. V. Egbert, from observati 

 made on August 26, 28, and 30, has computed the following 

 ments for the comet discovered by Mr. Brooks on August 24 1 



T = 1887 October 6-48d. G.M.T. 



ff - a =63 18 



^ = 84 33 



I = 44 10 



log q = 008718 



Mean Eq. 1887 'O. 



It will be seen that these elements bear a great resembK 

 those of Olbers' comet of 1815. Dr. Holetschek, in a supple- 

 mental circular of the Astronoj7iischc NachricJden, supplies the 

 subjoined ephemeris for the comet, basing it upon the sweeping 

 ephemeris for Olbers' comet given by Ginzel in the Asir^ 

 nomische Nachriclden, No. 2696, the comet's orbit being ; 



