126 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [Apr., 



ical teaching of the microscope would have died years ago. 



Lung fibers in phthisis sputum discovered before 1826. — 

 This is not an Amercan teaching. In 1826 Prof. Schroeder Van 

 der Kolk of Utrecht, Holland, published his "Observationes, 

 anatomici, pathologici et practici argumenti." These observa- 

 tions include lang fibres in the sputum of phthisis. He died 

 May 2, 1862 The authority for this is an autograph letter dated 

 Feb. 24, 1894 by Dr. G. P. Tienhoven of the Hague, physician 

 to the Queen of the ISTetherlands. Honor to the Dutch! How 

 much we owe to them not only for the microscope but also for 

 the accurate mode of detecting the breaking down of the lungs 

 not only in tuberculosis but also in fibroid phthisis and fatty 

 degeneration. — E. Cutter, M. D. 



BIOLOGICAL NOTES. 



Irritability of Phycomyces nitens. — Dr. Elfving has pub- 

 lished a paper concerning the effect of different bodies upon the 

 sporangia-bearers of Phycomyces nitens (fur Kenntniss der pflan- 

 zlichen Irritabilitat. Sep. from Oefversigt af Finska Vel. — Soc. 

 Foerh. Haeft XXXVI, 1893). This action is either attractive 

 or repulsive ; from a distance of a couple of cms, iron and zinc 

 will cause the sporangia-bearers to curve so that the curved side 

 faces the active body. 



Errera explained the movements of said organs as hydrotro- 

 pism. Elfving publishes new experiments : If iron acts as a 

 hygroscopic body, we may expect to see the phenomenon most 

 plainly when the fungus is put under the influence of highly 

 hygroscopic bodies like calcium cloride and Ka. — But the spo- 

 rangia-bearers were not attracted by these bodies. 



A very hygroscopic plate of gypsum (80x3oxl0 mm.) dried b}'' 

 100° C, and placed in an atmosphere saturated with water, in 

 the neighborliood of the sporangia-bearers had no effect what- 

 ever upon the latter and condensed 1,665 gr. of water, while an 

 iron plate (surface 4950 mm- ) produced the efffect mentioned 

 above and condensed only 3.5 mgr. of water. 

 . Elfving assumes that these phenomena are caused b}' molec- 

 ular movements. Highly polished steel and platinum have 

 very little eff'ect upon the sporangia-bearers, but if these bodies, 

 for a long time, are exposed to direct sunlight, they become ac- 

 tive, i. e., the}' are brought into such a condition that they at- 



