340 



NATURE 



[June 27, 1918 



but reasons 2a& given to show that negative results' 

 must not be taken as proving absence of structure. — 

 J. Amar : The psychograph and its applications. 

 Description and photograph of an apparatus for 

 graphically recording reaction times. ^ — F. Malgnon : 

 Researches on the toxicity of egg-albumin. The 

 influence of the season on the sensibility of the 

 organism to nitrogenous intoxication. A diet of white 

 of egg alone is incapable of supporting life or main- 

 tarnmg weight in the white rat. The rats on this diet 

 die rapidly in May and October of an acute intoxica- 

 tion of the central nervous system, whilst they die 

 slowly by starvation in August and January. — M. 

 L^caillon : The action of the venomous bites of 

 Animophila hirjsuta on the caterpillars of Agrotis ripae. 

 June 10. — M. P. Painleve in the chair. — G. Humbert : 

 The representation of an integer by indefinite, ternary 

 quadratic forms. — J. Boussinesq : The graphical in- 

 tegration of the problem of sandy flow in the case of a 

 terre-plein with free undulating surface maintained in 

 front by a curved wall. — E. Ariis : Saturated vapour- 

 pressures of pentatomic bodies. The only conclusion 

 which can be drawn from the existing experimental 

 data is that stannic chloride, methj^l fluoride, and 

 chloroform in a state of purity ought to have saturated 

 vapour-pressures which satisfy the law of correspond- 

 ing states. — J. Peres : Certain functional transforma- 

 tions.— M. de Pulligny ; The approximate quadrature 

 of the circle. — H. Boarget : The intrinsic brightness of 

 the starry sky. — Sir F. W. Dyson, MM. Lnizet, Moye, 

 and C. Sola: Telegrams announcing the appear- 

 ance of Nova Aquilee. — M. Brillouin : Biaxial media. — 

 P. L. Mercanton : The magnetic state of some prehis- 

 toric pottery. The examination of five further 

 examples confirms the results given in an earlier note 

 that the terrestrial magnetic inclination in the bronze 

 in Switzerland was nearly zero. — M. Francois: A new 

 method for the determination of mercury with zinc. — 

 J. Martinet : The isatic acids. Details are given of the 

 preparation of 5-methylisatic acid, 5 : 7-dimethylisatic 

 acid, and a-naphthisatic acid. These acids dissolve 

 immediately to a yellow solution in alkalis without 

 passing through the intermediate violet colour of the 

 corresponding isatins.— J. Bouganlt : The amide func- 

 tion. The author's work on the acidvlsemicarbazides 

 and the acidylhydroxamides leads him to the con- 

 clusion that the acid amides are normallv of the con- 

 stitution R,C(OH),NH instead of the usuallv accepted 

 R.CO.NH,.— A. Guiniermond: Metachromatin and the 

 phenotic compounds of the plant-cell.— C. Janet : 

 Botrydium granulatum. — H. Bierry and P. Portier : 

 Vitarnines and symbiotes. The bacteria isolated from 

 the tissues of normal animals (symbiotes), like the 

 yitamines, are abundant in the teguments of seeds and 

 in many animal fats, and their temperature of destruc- 

 tk)n, about 120° C, is also near the temperature of 

 the alteration of vitamines, and it is suggested that 

 there is a relation between the svmbiotes and the vita- 

 mines. Preliminarv experiments showed that svm- 

 biotes are perfectly tolerated when introduced into 

 vertebrates. Animals (rats, pigeons) fed on a diet 

 deprived of vitamines were reduced to the pathological 

 state described by various workers. The injection of 

 cultures of living symbiotes under the skin or in the 

 peritoneum produced a rapid recovery in twentv-four 

 to forty-eight hours. These results were repeated and 

 confirmed bv experiments lasting several months. — 

 Y. Delage : Remarks on the preceding paper. Atten- 

 tion is directed to the fact that the animals in the 

 pathological state described still contain svmbiotes in 

 their tissues, and it i? difficult to see how the intro- 

 duction of more of the same bacteria could be respon- 

 sible for the effects observed.— Mile. Marie Goldsmith : 

 Sensorial perceptions in JSt^ngufnf .B-arnkardus. 

 NO. 2539, VOL. lOl] 



BOOKS RECEIVED. 



• Forestry Work. By, W. H. Whellens. Pp. 236. 

 (London : 1 . Fisher Unwin, Ltd.) Ss. 6d. net. 



Chemistry for Beginners and School Use. By C. T. 

 Kingzett. Third edition. Pp. 151-211, (London: 

 Bailli^re, Tindall, and Cox.) 2S^ 6d. net. 



A Primer of Engineering Science. By E.. S. 

 Andrews. Part ii. First Steps in Heat and Heat 

 Engfnes. Pp. ix + 67. (London: J. Selwyn an4 Co.) 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, June 27. 

 RoVAl, SociETV, at 4. w.— Periodic Irrotatioiial Waves of Finite Height: 

 Prof. T. H. Haveiock.— The Diffraction of Electric Waves by the 

 Earth : Dr. G. N. Watson.— Sounds Produced by Drops Falling on ' 

 Water; A Mai lock. — Concerning p^motive Phenomena. U. : Periodie 

 Variations of Conductance of the Palm of the Human Hand : Dr. A. D. 

 Waller. — The Mechanism and Control of Fibrillation in the Mammalian 

 Heart : Prof. J. A. MacWilliam.— The Devdopment of the Sea Anemones, 

 Actinoloba dianthus and ^Idanisia palliata : Dr. J. F. GemmiU. — The 

 Occurrence of Multinucleate Celts in Vesetative Tissues : R. Beer and 

 Agnes Arber.— The Epithelial Sheath of Hertwig in the Teeth of Man, 

 with Notes on the Follicle and Nasmyth's Membrane : Dr. J. H. 

 Mummery. —A nd other Papers. 



FRIDAY, Junk 28. 

 Physical SocrETV, at 5.— .\ New Method of Measuring Alternating 

 Currerrts and Electiic Osrtllatiors : I. Williams. — Demonstration of 

 Coupled Vibrations: Prof E. H. Barton .*nd Miss H. M. Browning. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



A Compendium of Pharmacy ; . 321 



Recent Chemical Antiseptics. By J. B. C 321 



Milk Hygiene 322 



Our Bookshelf 322 



Letters to the Editor: — 



The Promotion of a Closer Union between England 



and Italy. — Prof. Eugenio Rignano . . . 323 

 The Eotvos Revolving Balance.— Prof. J. B. Dale; 



Prof. C. V. Boys, F.R.S 325 



The Discovery of the New Star in Aquila. — W. F. 



Denning . . 325 



The Food of the Rook.— Prof. Sydney J. Hickson, 



F.R.S. ; H. Eliot Howard 325 



"Harbour Engineering." — Dr. Brysson Cunning- 

 ham 326 



Units and Unity. By Sir Napier Shaw, F.R.S. . . 326 



Prof. H. G. Plimmer, F.R.S. By J. B. F. . . . . . 328 



Dr. E. A. Newell Arber. By Prof. A. C. Seward, 



F.R.S. 32S 



Notes 329 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



The New Star in Aquila 333 



Discovery of a Comet 333 



Bulletins of the Hector Observatory, N.Z 333 



The British Science Guild 333 



The Impottance of the Non-metallic Inclasions in 



Steel. By H. C. H. C 334 



Education, Science, and Leadership. By Lord 



Sydenham, G.C.S.L, F.R.S • >35 



Scientific Research and Industrial Development. 



By Sir Algernon F. Firth, Bart 336 



University and Educational Intelligence . . . 338 



Societies and Academies 339 



Books Received 340 



Diary of Societies .... 340 



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Advertisements and business letters to be addressed to the 

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Editorial Communications to the Editor. 

 Telegraphic Address: Phusis, London. 

 Telephone Nmnber : Gerrard 8830. 



