i6o 



NATURE 



[April 24, 19 19 



detonation. -^E.Bourquelot and M. Bridel : Application 

 of the biochemical method to the study of several 

 species of indigenous orchids. Discovery of a new 

 glucoside, loroglossine. This new glucoside was 

 isolated from Loroglossum hircinum in crystalline 

 form. It is hydrolysed by hot dilute sulphuric acid 

 or by emulsin.— A. Bayet and A. Slosse : Arsenical 

 poisoning in industries involving coal and its deriva- 

 tives. The study of numerous cases of pitch-cancer 

 in a briquette works showed that many of the symp- 

 toms strikingly resembled those of chronic arsenical 

 poisoning. Arsenic was proved to be present in the 

 pitch, in the dust floating in the air at the works, 

 in the hair of all the workmen, and in notable 

 quantities in the urine and blood of the greater 

 number of the workmen. Analyses of the blood, 

 urine, and hair of other workmen, living in the 

 same district, but not employed in briquette-making, 

 gave negative results for arsenic. Thus from both 

 the chemical and the clinical examination the con- 

 clusion is drawn that the symptoms observed in 

 workmen handling pitch are those of chronic 

 arsenical poisoning. 



BOOKS RECEIVED. 



Joseph Priestlev. By D. H. Peacock. Pp. 63. 

 (London : S.P.C.K.) 25. net. 



The Geology of South Australia. By W. Howchin. 

 In two divisions. Division i.. An Introduction to 

 Geologv, Physiographical and Structural, from the 

 Australian Standpoint; Division ii., The Geology of 

 South Australia, with Notes on the Chief Geological 

 Systems and Occurrences in the other Australian 

 States. Pp. xvi + 543. (Adelaide: The Education 

 Department.) 



Inorganic Chemistry. By Prof. J. Walker. 

 Eleventh edition, revised and enlarged. Pp. viii+326. 

 (London : G. Bell and Sons, Ltd.) 55. net. 



Elementary Chemistrv of Agriculture. Bv S. A. 

 Woodhead. Pp. vii + 188. (London: Macmillan and 

 Co., Ltd.) 3s. 6d. 



Displacement Interferometry by the Aid of the 

 Achromatic Fringes. By Prof. C. Barus. Pt. iii. 

 Po. TOO. (Washington : 'The Carnegie Institution of 

 Washington.) 



Naval Ofificers : Their Hereditv and Development. 

 By C. B. Davenport, assisted bv M. T. Scudder. Pp. 

 iv+2'?6. (Washington : The Carnegie Institution of 

 Washington.) 



Duration of the Several Mitotic Stages in the 

 Dividing Root-tip Cells of the Common Onion. Bv 

 Dr. H. H. Lauffhlin. Pp. 48+plates. (Washington : 

 The Carnegie Institution of Washington.) 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, April 24. 



Mathematical Societv, at 5.— K. Ananda Rau : (i) Lambert's Series ; 

 (a) The Relations between the Convergence of a Series and its Summa- 

 bility bv Cesaro's Means.— G. H. Hardy and J. E. Littlewood : A 

 Fauberian Theorem for Lambert's Series. 



Ln'Stitution op Electrical Engineers, at 6.— Major A. C. Fuller: 



The Fullerphone, and its Application to Military and Civil Telegraphy. 



MONDAY, April 28. 



Institute ok Actuaries, at 5.— P. H. McCormack : Group Insurance. 

 TUESDAY, April 2q. 



Royal Institi'TIon, at 3.— Prof. Keith : British Ethnology— The People 

 of Wales and Ireland. 



Far ADA v_ Society and Rontgen Society (loint Meeting), at 5.— General 

 Discussion : The Examination of Materials by X-R'avs. Sir Robert 

 Hadfield : Introduction of Discussion —Prof W. H Bragg : Radio- 

 metaMography.— Prof. A. W. Porter : Abstrarts of («) Investigation of 

 Metals bv means of X-Rays. by F. Janus (Munich) and M. Reppchen 

 (Cologne). (/>) The Principles Governing the Penetration of Metals 

 by X-Ravs. by Dr. G. Respondek (Helensee).— M. H. Pilon and G. 

 Pearce: Apparatus used for Radio-metallography.— Capt. R. Kno.-c and 



Major G. W. C. Kaye : The Examination of Timber by X-Rays.— Sit 



Robert Hadfield, S. A. Main, and J. Brooksbank : (i) Testing the 

 Absorption Power of Different Steels under the X-Rays. (2) X-Ray 

 Examination as Applied to the Metallurgy of Steel. (3) Radiographic 

 Kxamination of Carbon Electrodes used in Electric Steel-making 

 Furnaces. (4) A Method of Test'ng an X-Ray Tube for Definition.- 

 Lt.-Col. C. K. Jenkin : The Detection of Hair Cracks in Steel by means 

 of X-Rays.— F. F. Renwick : The Behaviour of Photographic Plates 

 to X-Rays considered in Relation to the Radiography of Metals.— Dr. 

 R. E. Slade : Contrasts in X-Ray Photographs.— M. E. Schneider (Le 

 Creusot) : Radio-metallography. 



Zoological Society, at 5.30.— Dr. W. T. Caiman : Marine Boring 

 Animals.— Noel Tayler : A Unique Case of Asymmetrical Duplicity in 

 the Chick. — Geo. Jennison : A Chimpanzee in the Open Air in England. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, at 5.30.— Annual General Meeting. 

 WEDNESDAY, Apkil 30. 



RovAL Aeronautical Society, at 8.— Major H. E. Wimperis: Aerial 

 Navigation. 



THURSDAY, Mav i. 

 I Royal Institution, at 3.— Dr. H. S. Hele Shaw : Clutches. 



LiNNEAN Society, at 5.— J. Small : The Pappus in the Compositae.— 

 Montagu Drummond : Notes on the Botany of the Palestine Campaign : 

 L The Flora of a Small Area in Palestine.— H. N. Dixon : Mosses from 

 Deception Island. 



Institution of Electrical Engineers, at 6.— Dr. C. Chree : Magnetic 

 Storms. 



Chemical Society, at 8. -Prof J. H. Jeans : The Quantum Theory and 

 New Theories of Atomic Structure. 



FRIDAY, May 2. 



Royal Institution, at 5.30.— Prof. J. W. Nicholson: Energy Distribu- 

 tion in Spectra. 



In.stitution of Mechanical Engineers, at 6.— Dr. W. H. Hatfield : 

 The Mechanical Properties of Steel, with Some Consideration of the 

 Question of Brittleness. 



SATURDAY, May 3. 



Royal Institution, at 3.— Prof. H. S. Foxwell : Chapters in the Psycho- 

 logy of Industry. 



CONTENTS. 



The Nation's Debt to Science 



Foundations of Electrical Theory. By J. W. N. 

 The Advancement of Education. By J. A. T. . . 



Our Bookshelf 



Letters to the Editor: — 



lonisation and Radiation. — Dr. R. A. Houstoun 



The Whiteness of the Daylight Moon.— C. T, 



Whitmell 



Refractometers. (Uliistrated.) 



The Atlantic Flight 



The Food Requirements of Man 



Notes 



Our Astronomical Column-. — 



Changes on Jupiter 



The Origin of Novae • . . . 



Celestial Systems 



Cotton-seed By-products 



A British Geodetic and Geodynamic Institute . . 



Responsibilities of Botanical Science 



Ophthalmological Training of Medical Students 

 Clock Escapements. (Illustrated.) By A. T. Hare 

 University and Educational intelligence . . . . 



Societies and Academies , . 



Books Received . . . 



Diary of Societies 



PAGE 

 141 



. 142 

 143 

 144 



145 



145 

 145 

 •47 

 148 

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'52 

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 153 

 154 

 154 

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 15s 

 158 

 159 

 160 

 160 



Editorial and Publishing Offices: 



MACMILLAN AND CO., Ltd., 



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



Advertisements and business letters to be addressed to the 

 Publishers. 



NO. 2582, VOL. 103] 



Editorial Communications to the Editor. 

 Telegraphic Address : Phusis, London. 

 Telephone Number : Gerr.'\RD 8830. 



