320 



NATURE 



[June 14, 1917 



is regarded as an intoxication caused by fatigue and 

 favoured by bad oxygenation of the blood. — R. 

 Dalimier : Chemical vaccination of arsenical reactions. 



May 29. — M. A. d'Arsonval in the chair. — 

 H. Douvilld : The Orbitoids of Trijiity Island. 

 — J. Bergonie : The advantages from the hygienic, 

 economic, and social points of view of a 

 change in the number, time, and importance of meals. 

 It is argued that the rqain m^al of the day should be 

 taken at 7.30 a.m., and a second and smaller meal 

 at 6 p.m. The advantages of such a reduction of 

 meals are set out. — S. Lefschetz : The multiple inte- 

 grals of algebraic varieties. — N. Kryloff : Generalisa- 

 tions of the method of Walter Ritz. — J. K. de Firiet : 

 The formation of integral equations admitting hyper- 

 spherical functions as fundamental solutions. — F. 

 Schrader : A map of the massif of Gavarnie and of 

 Mont-Perdu. — G. Sizes : The intervals in Hindu and 

 Arabian music. — Ed. Chauvenet : The combinations of 

 zirconium with sulphuric acid. Twelve compounds of 

 zirconium with sulphuric acid have been described; 

 the author has only obtained evidence of six of these. 

 — G. Bourgaignon : Normal chronaxy of the muscles of 

 the lower limb in man. Functional and radicular 

 classification by chronaxy. — CH. Dhere and G. Vegezzi : 

 Helicorubin. This red pigment is found in the bile 

 of the snail. Details of the changes in the absorption 

 spectrum under the influence of various chemical re- 

 agents. In slightly acid media it is easily oxidised 

 and' reduced, and in the intestine of the snail behaves 

 as a respiratory pigment.— H. Vincent and G. Stodel : 

 The influence of traumatism on experimental gas 

 gangrene and on the recrudescence of this infection. 

 B. perfringens may be injected into healthv tissue 

 without visible effect, but it does not immediately 

 disappear; it is latent for a certain period, and may 

 reappear as the result of a contusion. 



June 4. — M. A. d'Arsonval in the chair. — J. Bous- 

 sinesq : The equilibrium of a given homogeneous sandy 

 mass under certain conditions.— P. Montel : Conformal 

 representation. — W. Sierpinski : Some problems which 

 imply non-measurable functions. — G. Fayet and A. 

 Schaiimasse : Elements of the comet 1917& (Schau- 

 masse). The elements are calculated from observa- 

 tions made on April 25 and May 8, 14, and 22.— -MM. 

 Portevin and Garvin ; The influence of the velocity of 

 cooling on the transformation temperature and struc- 

 ture of carbon steels. — G. Arnaud : Some Micro- 

 thyriaceae. — M. Amar : Remarks on meal times. A 

 destructive criticism of the proposals of M. Bergenia 

 (see above), the main point of which is that food 

 is not necessarily utilised immediately after it has been 

 eaten. Two main meals at noon and 8 p.m. are re- 

 garded as justified from the point of view of experi- 

 mental hvgiene and the laws of human energetics. — L. 

 Camus : The time necessary for the appearance of the 

 anti-virulent property of serum is a function of the 

 quantity of vaccine inoculated. 



BOOKS RECEIVED. 



A Psychic Vigil in Three Watches. Second edition. 

 Pp. xi-l-233. (London : Methuen and Co., Ltd.) 55. 

 >.net. 



The Mothercraft Manual. By M. L. Read. Pp. 

 xviii + 440. (London: G. G. Harrap and Co.) 55. 

 net. 



A Pocket Book for Chemists, Chemical Manufac- 

 turers, etc. By T. Bayley. Eighth edition. Edited 

 by R. Ensoll. Pp. xvi + 425. (London: E. and F.N. 

 Spon, Ltd.) 7s. 6d. net. 



Cotton Spinnings. By W. Scott Taggart. Vol. ii. 

 Fourth edition. Pp. xxviiH-462 + illustrations. (Lon- 

 don : Macmillan and Co., Ltd.) los. net. 



NO. 2485, VOL. 99] 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



' THURSDAY, Ju.ne 14. 



RovAL SociETV, at 4.30. — Some Cases of Wave Motion due to a Submerged 

 Obstacle : Prof. T. H. Havelock. — The Propagation of Sound in the Free 

 Atmosphere and the Acoustic Efficiency of Fog Signal Machinery : Prof. 

 L. V. King. — The Behaviour of Scattering Media in Fully Diffused 

 Light : H. J. Shannon, F. F. Renwiclc, and B. V. StoiT.— The Theory of 

 Decay in Radio-active Luminous Compounds : J. W. T. Walsh. 



Mathematical Society, at 5.30. — Some Theorems on the Multiplication 

 of Series: A. E. JollifTe. — Certain Trigonometrical Series and their 

 Applications to the Theory of Numbers : S. Ramanujan. 



Optical Society, at 8. — Aeroplane Compasses : S. G. Starling. — An Optical 

 Method for Accurately Dividing a Circle into Degrees : Dr. R. S. Clay. 



FRIDAY, June 15. 

 Institution ok Mining Engineers, at n a.m. — The Spontaneous Firing 



of Coat : Dr. J. S. Haldane. — The By-product Coking Process, its 



History, Development, and Application : E. Bury. — Acetylene Mine 



Lamps : W. Maurice. 



MONDAY, June 18. 

 Royal Geographical Society, at 8.30. — The Zambezi-Congo Watershed : 



Major E. A. Steel. 

 Victoria Institute, at 4.30.— Annual Address: The Distances of the 



Stars : Sir F. W. Dyson. 



TUESDAY, June 19. 

 Royal Statistical Society, at 5.15. — Statistical Aspects of Inflation of 



the Currency : Prof. J. Shield Nicholson. 

 Minekalogical Society, at 5.30— The Problem of Sartorite: Dr. G. F. 



Herbert Smith. — Note on a Curious Case of Devitrification : Dr. A. 



Scott. — -The Meteorites of Simondium, Eagle Station and Amana: 



Dr. G. T. Prior. 



WEDNESDAY, June 20. 

 Royal Meteorological Society, at 5. — The Reduction of Temperature 



Observations to Mean of 24 Hours, and the Elucidation of the Diurnal 



Variation, in the Continent of Africa : C. E. P. Brooks, — Autographic 



Records of the Air-wave from the East London Explosion, January 19, 



1917 : F. J. W. Whipple. — Some Aspects of the Cold Perioid, December, 



1916, to April, 1917 : K. C. Mossman. 

 Geological Society,- at 5.30. — The Inferior Oolite and Contiguous 



Deposits of the Crewkerne District (Somerset) : L. Richardson.— The 



Pre-Cambrian and Associated Rocks of the District of Mozambique : 



.A. Holmes. 

 Royal Microscopical Society, at 8. — Nouria tntgosa, a New Species of 



Foraminifera from the Faroe Channel : E. Heron-Allen and A. Earland. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Psychological Medicine. By Sir Robert Armstrong- 

 Jones 301 



Philosophy and Paradox. By G. B. M 302 



Some Aspects of Textile Manufacture. ByW. M. G. 303 



Our Bookshelf 304 



Letters to the Editor: — 



A Letter of Ch. Darwin in Argentina. — M. Doello- 



Jurado 305 



Plated Teeth of Sheep. — Dr. James Ritchie . . . 306 

 The Organisation of Scientific Literature. — Philip 



E. B. Jourdain ... 306 



The Origin of Flint.— Dr. R. M. Caven ... . 306 

 The Society of Chemical Industry and the Progress 



of the Chemical Arts . . 307 



The Radiation of the Stars. By Prof. A, S. 



Eddington, F.R.S 308 



Dr. W. H. Besant, F.R.S. By G. B. M 310 



Notes 311 



Our Astronomical Column :— 



Comet 191 7<J (Schaiimasse) 3>5 



The Spectrum of Comet 1917a (Mellish) 315 



Effective Temperatures of Stars 3^5 



The Fellowship of the Royal Society 315 



The Animal Symbol of the Egyptian Deity, Set. 



{Illustrated.) By Joseph Offord 316 



Technical Optics ....... 317 



The Configurations of Astronomical Masses and 

 the Figure of the Earth. By J. H. Jeans, F.l^.S. 317 



University and Educational Intelligence 31S 



Societies and Academies 31S 



Books Received 320 



Diary of Societies ... 320 



Editorial and Publishing Offices: 



M.^CMILLAN AND CO., Ltd., 



ST. MARTIN'S STREET, LONDON, W.C.2. 



Advertisements and business letters to be addressed to the 

 Publishers. 



Editorial Communications to the Editor. 

 Telegraphic Address : Phusis, London. 

 Telephone Number : Gerrard 8830. 



