oo^ 



NATURE 



[August i, 1895 



across the diaphragm niay l)e absolutely inde|wndent of their 

 molecular weights ami of their condition as dissolved substance 

 or solvent. — Action of phenyl isocyanate on some acids and 

 ethereal salts, by M. A. llaller. — M. Ketzius was elected 

 Correspondant of the Anatomy and Zoolc^' Section, in succes- 

 sion to M. Carl Vogt. — Abnormal refractions at the surface 

 of water, by M. Ch. Uufour. Attention is directed to a source 

 of error, due to irregular refraction caused by differences in 

 temperature between water and air immediately above its surface, 

 which may arise in taking the latitude or determining time at sea. 

 — On static or dynamic explosive potentials, by M. R. Swynge- 

 dauw. According to the experiments described, the explosive 

 potential between two poles shielded from ultra-Wolet radiations 

 is not appreciably diminished by very small and very rapid 

 variations of potential. — On a phosphorescence phenomenon 

 obtained in tubes containing rarefied nitrogen after the passage 

 of the electric discharge, by M. Gaston Seguy. In presence of 

 xapours of stannic chloride, the author finds the light emitted 

 from a nitrogen tutje to be rose-coloured during the discharge, 

 and milky white for some lO to So seconds after interruption of 

 the current. — On the electromotive force of the I^timer Clark, 

 Gouy, and Daniell standards, by M. C. Limb. The values found 

 by the author's method for the elements at o° C. are : Latimer 

 Clark I 4535 volts (absolute), Gouy I"392S volts (abs.), Daniell 

 (Fleming type) i '0943 volts (abs.). — On Natterer's tubes, by M. 

 Gouy. — On anhydrous crystallised manganese sulphide, by M. 

 A. NiourloL Crystallised sulphide, identical with alabandine, 

 has been obtained by means of the electric furnace. Small 

 cubes or trans|»rent derived oclahedra of a greenish shade are 

 obtained. They have the density 3 92 and hardness 3-5 to 4. 

 — On some properties of combinations of ferrous chloride and 

 nitric o.xide, by M. \'. Thomas. The experiments detailed show 

 that the three compounds pbtained by the author in the dr)- way 

 possess no appreciable tension of dissociation at the ordinary 

 temperature, and hence differ from the comjiounds obtained in 

 solution by M. Gay. — On some alkaline phosphides, by M. C. 

 Hugot. — Sjiecific heats of superfused formic and acetic acids. 

 Modifications applied to Regnault"s thermocalorimeter to enable 

 the determination of the specific heats of a large number of 

 superfused liquids, by M.M. Massol and Guillot. The 

 specific heats of formic and acetic acids in the solid state 

 are much greater than their sjxjcific heats in the liquid 

 state. The sixsrific heat in the liquid slate diminishes with the 

 temperature. When superfused, the specific heat is slightly 

 augmented, but remains of the same order as the sixicific heat in 

 the liquid .state.— Synthetic formation of nitro-alcohols, by M. 

 Louis Henry. — Oxidation of inactive camnholenic acid, by M. 

 A. Behal. — On the constitution of vegetable albumcnoid sub- 

 stances, by M. E. Fleurent. — Influence of respiration on the 

 volumetric trace of the limbs, by MM. A. Binct and J. Courtier. 

 — Modifications of the heat radiated produced by faradisation, 

 by M. L. Lecercle. An account of the local rise in tcmiwrature 

 produced in animals by electric excitation, and its effect on the 

 general tcmpeiaturc. — Aggravation of the effects of certain 

 microljc toxines by their |)ass.ige through the liver, by MM. J. 

 -f — .... ,.,,] L_ Guinard. — \ contribution to the histology of 

 L;lands, by M.M. J. Kunstler and A. GruVel.— On the 

 t the magmas of certain amphibole granites, by M. 

 A. .Michel Lc\7.— On the first alcohol ihcrmomcler used in 

 I'aris, by M. I'AblK- Maze. 



Bkri.in. 



Physiological Society, June 7. — I'rof. Munk, I'resiilenl, in 



the chair. — I'rof. l'>.Tginski re|Kirted on ex|x;rimenls m.ide, in 



r ■■ n with I>r. Siimmerfcld, on bile from 1 15 children. 



.wed that, in com])ari.son with the bile of .idults, il 



mure water and mucin .and less bile-salt.s. Il contained 



no urea or ethereal sulphates, and in the ca.se of children who 



hn'! '!iH 'if 'liphihcria it was free from bile-s.ilt.s. Kxamin.ition 



'■ n suffering from various forms of nephritis 



■ I an abnormally large amount of xanthin 



Id not Ik: accounted for by any breaking 



1^ or blofKl corpuscles. Dr. Benda de- 



iidi in the mucous membrane of the true 



ich cause corres|x)nding furrows in the 



!inl hyer. They can be readily brought 



iliclium by macerating in dilute 



r than the vocal cords, and 



arc j-.iiino .11 c.if 11 cmi. i\.ir) ' .Kinetic cell-division can often l>e 



seen taking place in the epithelial layer. 



NO. 1344, VOL. 52] 



June 21. — Prof, du Bois Reymond, President, in the chair.— 

 Dr. Schuiz spoke on the anatomy of unstriated muscles in verte- 

 brates. He finds that they consist of elongateil cells, pointed at 

 each end, whose length is very variable in different animals. 

 Each cell consists of fibrils imbedded in a highly refractive inter- 

 fibrillar substance, and of granules and a nucleus in the middle 

 of the cell with two nuclear bodies. Two nuclei in one cell were 

 only seen once among thousands of preparations. The fibrils 

 interlace with each other. The seiMrate cells are not held to- 

 gether by any cement-substance, but by protoplasmic threads 

 and branches. The transverse striation describe<l by many 

 observers appears to be due to a wrinkling of the cell resulting 

 from incomi)lete extension after having been contracted. Nerve 

 fibres are very plentiful. With methylene-bUie, gold chloride, or 

 by Golgi's method numerous ganglion-cells can be brought into 

 view, from which short branches are distributed to the muscle 

 cells. In addition to these numerous ner\-e-fibrils ran be seen 

 ending in minute bulbous swellings which are applied to the 

 nmscle. The nerves are sensor)' as well as motor. — Dr. 

 Cohnstein re|X)rted experiments on injecting solutions of sugar 

 into the blood-vessels, in support of his views on the formation 

 of lymph in opposition to Heidcnhain. The results were the 

 same as on the injection of salt solutions. The amount of sugar 

 in the blood rose and fell very rapidly, whereas it rose and fell 

 ver)' slowly in the lymph. The m.aximuni of sugar observed in 

 the lymph w.as equal to the maximum met with at an earlier 

 stage of the experiment in the blood. The solitl constituents of 

 the blood became less after the injection, and then incrct-scd 

 slowly to the normal : in the lymph, on the other hand, they 

 increased at first and then became less. After the injection of 

 sugar the blood capillaries of a frog's web were considerably 

 dilated and the circulation quickened. Dr. Cohnstein interpreted 

 these results ;is indicating an initial pass,age of water from the 

 intercellular spaces into the blood-vessels, followed at a later 

 stage by a return filtration into the lymph, lie had .also observed 

 a diminution in the .secretion of bile after the injection of sugar, 

 and attributed this to compression of the bile capillaries resulting 

 from dilatation of the blood capillaries. 



i 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Linear Differential Equations. Hy G. B. M. . . . 313 

 The Researches of Tesla. By Prof. A. Gray . . . 314 

 Our Book Shelf:— 



I'cjck : " An Introduction to Chemical Crystallo- 

 graphy" 315 



Bastin : " Laboratory Exercises in Botany."' — 



D. H. S 316 



Heysinger : " The Source and Mode of Solar 



Energy" 316 



Letters to the Editor : — 



The Huxley .Memorial. — Sir Joseph D. Hooker, 



K.C.S.I., F.R.S 316 



The Kinetic Theory of Gases. — S. H. Burbury, 



F.R.S 316 



On Skew Probiibility Curves.— Prof Karl Pearson 317 

 Evolution or Epigcncsis ?—H. Croft Hiller .... 317 



A .Sound-producing Insect. — J. R. Holt 318 



A Few more Words on Thomas Henry Huxley. By 



Prof Michael Foster, F.R.S 318 



Dr. Friedrich Tietjen 320 



The Maxim Flying Machine. (IlluslraieJ.) liy 



Prof. A. G. Grccnhill, F.R.S ' 321 I 



Notes 325 I 



Our Astronomical Column: — I 



Terrestrial Helium 327 ; 



Ephemeris for Barnard's Comet, 1884 11 327 1 



The Aug\isl Meteors 327 



The Sun's Place in Nature. IX. liy J. Norman 



Lockycr, C.B., F.R.S 327 



The International Geographical Congress .... 329 

 Helium, a Constituent of Certain Minerals. II. 

 By Prof. William Ramsay, F.R.S., Dr. J. Norman 



Collie, an. I Morris Travcrs 331 



University and Educational Intelligence 334 



Scientific Serials 335 



Societies and Academies 335 



