April 4, 1901] 



NA TURE 



541 



456. Faint. 



464. Very strong broad line. Possibly the 465 line of the 

 bright-line stars. 



468. Moderately strong. Possibly new hydrogen (A 4686) 

 seen in bright line stars. 



471. Weak. Probably helium (A 4713). 



The hydrogen lines in the spectra are H^, He, H5, H7 and 

 H3. 



The lines at A 370 and 464 are perhaps identical with those 

 observed by von Gothard ^ in the spectrum of Nova Aurij;£E, 

 after it had become nebular, but associated with these lines in his 

 record there is the chief nebular line at 5006, no trace of which 

 is yet visible in the spectrum of Nova Persei. On the other hand, 

 HJ3, which is the brightest line in the present spectrum of Nova 

 Persei, does not appear at all in von Gothard's spectrum of 

 Nova Aurigse. 



Charactcistics of the Hydrogen Lines. — A detailed examina- 

 tion of the lines as photographed on several evenings shows that 

 their structure has been undergoing changes. On February 25 

 there were three points of maximum luminosity on the F line, 

 the two maxima on the blue side being of equal intensity and 

 greater than the third on the red side. By March I the centre 

 one had greatly been reduced in magnitude, and on the 3rd it 

 had been broken up into two portions, thus making four distinct 

 maxima. 



Rough measures made on the relative positions of these points 

 of maxima show that the difference of velocity indicated between 

 the two external maxima is nearly 1000 miles per second, while 

 that between the two inner maxima is 200 per second. We thys 

 have indications of possible rotations or spiral movements of two 

 distinct sets of particles travelling with velocities of 500 and 100 

 miles per second. 



A similar examination of the F and G lines of hydrogen in 

 the photographs obtained with the 30-inch reflector has also 

 been made by Dr. Lockyer. In this longer series the most im- 

 portant fact comes out that the change of maximum intensity 

 changes from the more to the less refrangible side of the bright 

 hydrogen line,'-* and the narrowing of the bright maximum in the 

 middle. 



So far as the observations have gone they strongly support, in my 

 opinion, the view I put forward in 1877, that new stars are pro- 

 duced by the clash of meteor swarms. I have suggested some 

 further tests of its validity. 



We may hope, since observations were made at Harvard and 

 Potsdam very near the epoch of maximum brilliancy, that a sub- 

 sequent complete discussion of the results obtained will very 

 largely increase our knowledge. The interesting question arises 

 whether we may not regard the changes in spectra as indicating 

 that the very violent intrusion of the denser swarm has bien 

 followed by its dissipation, and that its pas-age has produced 

 movements in the sparser swarm which may eventuate in a sub- 

 sequent condensation. 



THE BEER POISONING EPIDEMIC. 



THERE is nowr a pause in the literature of the most 

 interesting, but at the same time most disastrous, 

 beer poisoning epidemic, and the present seems a fitting 

 opportunity to summarise the chief facts ascertained 

 with regard to it, the deductions to be drawn from them, 

 and, last but not least, the lessons which they teach so 

 far as concerns the prevention of a recurrence of the 

 calamity. 



The first fact of transcendental importance was ascer- 

 tained by Dr. Reynolds, namely, that the beer consumed 

 by these unhappy individuals contained arsenic in such 

 an amount as undoubtedly in many cases to account for 

 the symptoms from which they suffered. So far as 

 subsequent workers are concerned, their results have 

 amply confirmed this fact, and there can be no doubt 

 that the majority of patients in Manchester suffered from 

 what has always been called arsenical poisoning. The 

 next step was directed to ascertain how the arsenic got 

 into the beer. Of this, fortunately, there can be no 



1 Ait. Phys. Joiirn. vol. xii. p. 51, 189 j. 



- The latest photograph, taken on April i shows this peculiarity in a far 

 more pronounced manner, the intensity of the less refrangible component 

 of the hydrogen lines being more than four limes that f the moie refrangible 

 component. 



NO. 1640 VOL. 63] 



doubt it came into the beer from the sugar, and it got 

 into the sugar through the sulphuric acid used either 

 directly or indirectly in the manufacture of the invert 

 sugar or the glucose. It is beside our purpose here to 

 discuss whether all the cases of poisoning were due to 

 the use of sugar made from sulphuric acid supplied 

 either by one firm or prepared from one variety of 

 pyrites. This, although a matter of paramount import- 

 ance, is not essentially a matter for the man of science to 

 decide. A definite answer to this question can only be 

 obtained by the careful sifting of evidence, the examin- 

 ation of the books of various firms, &c., and is, indeed, a 

 matter for the lawyer rather than for the chemist or 

 pharmacologist. There can be no doubt, however, that 

 the majority of cases observed could be traced to the 

 consumption of beer and stout in the preparation of 

 which sulphuric acid, supplied since the spring by one 

 firm, had been used. 



The next actual fact with regard to the causation of 

 the epidemic was, unfortunately, discovered too late to 

 allow of its full significance being thoroughly worked 

 but. Two full months after the consumption of arsenic- 

 ated beer had ceased. Dr. Tunnicliffe and Dr. Rosenheim 

 demonstrated the presence in relatively large quantities 

 (o"3 per cent.) of selenious acid in the sulphuric acid 

 which was used in the preparation of the invert sugar 

 supplied by the firm implicated in the recent epidemic. 

 These observers subsequently further demonstrated the 

 presence of this substance, which was, indeed, from their 

 earlier work a priori almost certain, in the invert sugar 

 itself and also in two different samples of beer identical 

 with that consumed by the poisoned patients in Salford. 

 They also pointed out at the same time that this sub- 

 stance is highly poisonous, certainly as, if not more, 

 poisonous than arsenic, giving rise to symptoms almost 

 identical with this latter poison. Exact quantitative 

 estimations of the amount of selenium in the beer are, so 

 far as we are aware, not yet published, but reckoning 

 from the acid and the sugar we may calculate that this 

 substance was present to the extent of about one quarter 

 the amount of the arsenic present. It follows, then, that 

 the beer consumed in the recent epidemic contained at 

 least two poisonous substances, viz., arsenic and 

 selenium, both of which got into the beer from the 

 sulphuric acid used in the preparation of the sugar. 



So far as concerns the actual a?tiology of the epidemic, 

 the above are all the facts which we have at present in 

 our possession. Incidentally, however, numerous other 

 points of extreme interest to the physician, the pharma- 

 cologist and toxicologist have arisen in the course of the 

 inquiry. 



So far as the pharmacology of arsenic is concerned, it 

 is greatly to be regretted that our information concern- 

 ing the exact amount of arsenic consumed by the indi- 

 vidual patients is so inaccurate. This inaccuracy arises 

 from two conditions. Firstly, it has not been in all cases 

 absolutely established that the beer quantitatively 

 examined for arsenic, although coming from the same 

 source as, was identical with that consumed by the re- 

 spective patients ; secondly, the actual amount of beer 

 taken by each patient was in many cases an unknown 

 quantity. The largest amount of arsenious acid found 

 in beer during the epidemic was Vi, grains per gallon. 

 Some of the sufferers undoubtedly consumed more than 

 a gallon of beer per diem ; some, however, did not con- 

 sume more than a pint. This would mean that, although 

 the former received a highly poisonous dose of arsenic, 

 the latter would do so only in the cases of the very highly 

 arsenicated beers, which were relatively rare. If we 

 assume that arsenic was the only poisonous agent at 

 work, we must also admit that it caused grave poisoning^ 

 in very minute doses ; in some cases, from the published 

 records, these must have been as small as i /200th of a 

 grain per diem. 



