556 



NATURE 



[October 3, 1895 



the inter- venlricular septum, in the neighbourhood of a cusp of 

 the mitral \'alve. The author diWdeil this bundle by a transverse 

 incision of 2 mm., and found that after this the auricle and 

 ventricle beat each with its own rhythm. This bundle contain«l 

 no nervous elements. 



Dr. Kaiser ( Hcidelbei^) showed that upon pinching oft" thelower 

 two-thirds of the partially emptied frog's ventricle, this portion 

 remained motionless ; but on subsequently clamping the bulbus 

 arteriosus, tension being produced in the ventricle, it recom- 

 menced to beat. Dr. Kaiser explains this result by supposing 

 the existence in the frog's heart of a series of neurons which 

 are discharged by an impulse which starts in the sinus, so that 

 the mechanism is that of a reflex action ; he l)elieves the 

 pinching destroyctl the continuity of the nervous apparatus, 

 while it left the muscle intact. 



Prof Kronccker (Bern) demonstrated in a most striking 

 manner the effect of a sudden arrest of the coronary circulation, 

 by injecting paraftin melting at 39° C. into the descending 

 coronary arter)'. The heart at once stops and enters into 

 marked fibrillar contraction, from which, except occasion.ally in 

 young animals, it never recovers. This effect is not produced by 

 ligature of the same artery : this, in I'rof Kronecker's opinion, is 

 due to collateral circulation being at once established. From 

 this experiment Kronecker infers that the cardiac rhythm is due 

 to the activity of some structures which are exceedingly sensitive 

 to sudden ccs-sation of their blood supply ; this is not true of 

 muscles or nerve trunks, but is of a nerve plexus or a ganglion 

 cell. 



Dr. Magnus (Heidelburg) showed a sphygmograph for use on 

 a dissected out artery. 



Prof. Hurthle (Breslau) showed a new method of registering 

 the arterial bloo<l -pressure in man. The arm is made bloodless 

 by means of an Esmark's bandage, and introduced into a 

 phlethysmograph connected with a tambour. Hurthle also 

 showed a method for simultaneously recording the heart move- 

 ments and rendering audible the heart sounds. The latter was 

 effected by a resonaling-lmx placed against the chest-wall ; to the 

 l)ox a wooden tuning-foik was attached ; the limbs of this vibrated 

 in imison with the heart .sounds, and varied the intensity of a 

 current led through the primary coil of an induction apparatus, 

 and through a microphone placed between the limbs of the fork ; 

 a telephone was connected with the secondary coil. 



Dr. White (London) made cx|)erimenls to show that perfect 

 cardiac perfusion w-ts not obtained with a Kronecker's canula as 

 modified by Williams, the actual i>erfusion in a Williams' only 

 extending to the top of the end-piece. 



Dr. /untz (Berlin) described a new method for determining 

 the velocity of the blood : it consisted in injecting into the 

 carotid artery, during arrest of the heart produced by stimula- 

 tion of the vagus, .sufficient bloo<l to bring the blood pressure 

 liack to the normal. Knowing the anmunt of blood which has 

 to be injected, and the time this takes, the velocity ol the blood, 

 as well as the amount propelled by the heart, can be dedured. 



Tiifsday Afternoon. — Presidents, Profs. Wedensky and Tiger- 

 .stedl. — Dr. A. Da,stre ( Paris) showed that if fresh fibrin is placed in 

 strong neutral .saline solutions, one finds after a certain time two 

 globulins in the .sfilution. (1) GloVjulin coagulating at 54°; 

 (2) (ilobulin having the properties of serum globulin ; and 

 further, that proteose and true |M;ptone are also present. This 

 action of saline solutions on fresh fibrin can be divided into 

 different stages. If fresh fibrin be submitted in the same 

 manner to the action of the digestive juices, the same results are 

 prfKiuced ; it is then <juite justifiable to speak of a " saline 

 digestion " of fibrin. Fibrin submitted to the action of oxygen- 

 ated water, and to that of micro-organisms, gave the same 

 result'^. When gelatin is similarly treated, gelatoses are pro- 

 duced, and the gelatin loses its |Hiwcr of coagulation. 



Dr. A. Beck (I^'ml)crg) discussed the velocity of blood in the 

 portal vein. The author found that the normal velrsity was from 

 2000 to 2800 cms. |>cr second, and that 0'62-079 grni. of blootl 

 flowcfl ihronch I grm. of liver tissue in twenty-four hours. The 

 auit' I lulsky's method. 



I I l^ycraft (Cardiff) read a paper on the change of 



sha Ti during contraction. The author found it difficult 



10 ' Mill thi- heart in systole ; this he finally did by 



'nj' I;;*-!,. Killing animals with the heart in diiuslolc 



presented ii'. difficulty. The animals were frozen immediately 

 after death,_ and sections of their hearts cut at different levels. 

 The aulhor'.s results confirmed those of Ludwig and i lesser. 



Prof. F. Gotch (Oxford). The ilischarge of Malaftfriiriis 

 eUctrictis. The electrical discharge of the organ evoked in the 

 living fish by mechanical and electrical stimulation was investi- 

 gated by the capillary electrometer, the frog nerve muscle 

 galvanoscope, and the galvanometer. Each apparently single 

 shock of the organ was found to be multiple in character, 

 showing an initial primary, followed by several secondary elec- 

 trical outbursts. The primary outburst had a latency of 4/1000" 

 and a duration of 2/1000". The F..M.F, = 120 to 200 volts. 

 The secondary effects which follow the primary are plainly 

 perceptible in the isolated organ after killing the fish ; hence 

 the multiple character of the single .<c\-oiissc is due to the oi^an 

 itself. Each of the secondary effects occurs at an interval of 

 from 4/ 1 000"- 6/ r 000" after its predecessor. The primary as 

 well as the secondary effects are monophasic in character : hence 

 a ver)' profound physiological effect is produced. 



1'. W. Tu.NNICLIFFE. 



NO. 1353, VOL. 52] 



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In the Camliridge I'niversily Press's announcements we 

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 Pill Press Malheiiialicil Series: "Euclid," books xi. and 



