JO^ 



NATURE 



[August 2, 1894 



experimeat made on a dog as to the nutritive value of gelatine. 

 Up to the present it was only known that gelatine alone 

 could not make good the need for proteids, but that a diet of 

 gelatine with .some proleid leads to a reduction of proteid 

 metabolised. Dr. Munk had propounded the question, how far 

 can gelatine take the place of proteids? and had carried on an 

 experiment of four days' duration. After the dog had been 

 placed in nitrogenous equilibrium on a diet of meat-meal, rice 

 and fat containing 9i grms. of nitrogen in the form of proteid, 

 five-sixths of this nitrogen was replaced by nitrogen in the form 

 of gelatine: the animal continued in nitrogenous equilibrium. 

 It appears from this that by the administration of gelatine the 

 nitrogen necessary as proteids can be reduced far below the 

 minimum metabolised in starvation, without any commencing 

 metabolism of tissue nitrogen. Dr. Munk made a further com- 

 munication on metabolism. It is known that the administr.ition 

 of carbohydrates to dogs leads to a saving of proteids. Recently 

 it has been supposed that this saving is determined by the 

 possibility that the carbohydrates lessen the putrefactive changes 

 which proteids undergo in the intestine, so that they are absorbed 

 unchanged in larger quantities. Since it is known that proteids 

 are absorbed very rapidly from the intestine of dogs, and that 

 the absorption is complete in about six hours. Dr. Munk gave 

 a dog at one time too grnis. sugar along with his meal of proteid, 

 and at another time the proteid meal in the morning and the 

 100 grms. sugar later on after an interval of thirteen hours, when 

 presumably there would be little or no proteid in the intestine. 

 In both these experiments he noticed the samesaving of proteids. 

 In the 6rst there was additionally a falling off of the ethereal 

 sulphates in the urine, evidencing diminished putrefaction of 

 proteids in the intestine. In the second case, where the sugar 

 was given separately from [the proteids, the ethereal sulphates 

 were very slightly lessened in amount, so that here apparently 

 there was no diminution of the putrefactive changes, and still 

 the carbohydrates had saved the proteids. These experiments 

 do not support the view recently put forward. — Prof. Konig 

 gave an account of his experiments on Dr. Zumft for determining 

 the position of the layers of the retina which are sensitive to 

 light. 



June 22. — Prof, du BoisReymond, President, in the chair. — 

 Dr. Marcuse gave an account of experiments on frogs in studying 

 pancreatic diabetes. After having satisfied himself that extirpa- 

 tion of the pancreas in frogs leads in most cases, at latest after two 

 days, to a distinct diabetes, he investigated the effect on this of 

 total extirpation of the liver. Although the frogs lived from two 

 to five days after the operation, no diabetes was observed in any 

 one case. Notwithstanding the numerous hypotheses as to the 

 influence of the liver and pancreas on the sugar of the blood, it 

 is not as yet possible to offer a satisfactory explanation of the 

 above observations. Prof. Zuniz had recently endeavoured by 

 a lengthy series of experiments to determine whether any one 

 alone of the food-stuffs, proteids, fats, or carbohydrates can be 

 regarded as the source of muscular energy. The experiments 

 were made on a dog, which can be fed and nourished quite well 

 on either proteids or fats or carbohydrates (rice and sugar), and 

 showed that each one of the above three food-stufls sufhces to 

 provide the energy necessary for the work done by the muscles. 

 Comparative experiments made lo determine which of the three 

 food-stuffs can be most adv.intageously employed for supplying 

 this energy, have not as yet led lo any decisive result. This 

 important research is to be continued. 



GoTTIiNGRN. 



Royal Society of Sciences. — In the Nachrichltn, No. 2, 

 1894, the following papers are published : — A. von Kocncn ; 

 On the age of the mineral veins of the Ilarz Mountains. — J. 

 Disfte ; On epithelial buds in the olfactory region of mammalia. 

 — W. Voigt : On media without inlcrnal force!, and on a 

 mechanical interpretation of the Maxwell-Ilerl/, equations 

 thereby furni.ihcd. — J. Uohls : Notes on the ca|>ture and natural 

 history of /.tfidotiren In Paraguay. — E. Khiers : On Lepidoiiren 

 faraJoia (Kilz) and arliculala (nov. spec.) from Paraguay. — P. 

 Gimther : Gauss's researches in the theory of the clliplic 

 functions. — Rol»ert Frickc : An ap|)lication of the ideal theory 

 lo the lubilitution groups of the automorphous functions, — V.. 

 Riecke : The theorem of the thermodynamic potential of a 

 heterogeneous system in equilil>rium, with an application to 

 van det Waal's theory and to the law of the boiling-point. — 

 W. Fclgcnlracger : Whislon's isoclinal chart and the secular 

 change of magnetic inclination in the cast of England. — \V. 



NO. 1292, VOL. 50] 



Xernst and R. Abegg : On the freezing-point of dilute solutions. 

 — C. Fromme : On the self-induction and electrostatic capacity 

 of resistance coils, and their influence on magnetic phenomena. 

 — F. V. Dalwigk : On a substitute for Dirichlet's principle. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Hooks —London Matriculation Directory, No. xvi., June, i?i/4 (London). 

 — Practical Work in General Physics: W, G. Woollcombe (tjxford, 

 CLirendon Press). — Smithsonian Institution Keport of the U.S. National 

 Museum, 1892 (Washington). — Die Wissenschaftlichen Grundlagen der 

 .-Vnalytischen Chemie ; W. Ostwald (Leip;:ig, Engelmann). — Vcrzeichniss 

 dcr Etetnente der bisher berechnetcn Comctenljahncn : Dr. J. G. Galle 

 (Leipzig, Engelmann). — Studien iiber Docoglosse und Rhipidoglossc Proso- 

 branchier : Dr. B. Haller (Leipzig, Engelmann). — Psychologic des Grands 

 Calculateurs et Joueurs d'Echecs; A. Btnet (Paris, Hachette). — A Dic- 

 tionary of the Economic Products of India : Prof. j. Watt. 6 Vols. (Cal- 

 cutta). — Ges.-inimelte Werlce von H. Hertz: Band 3. Die Prinzipien der 

 Mechanik (Leipzig, Barth). 



Pamj-hiets — Demonstration du Principe de I'Equivalence : M. G. 

 Mouret (Niort. Lemcrcier). — Bericht iiber die Th;itigkcit des KOniglich 

 Preussischen Meleorologischcn instituts in Jahre 18^3 : W. von Bezold 

 (Berlin). — A Short Guide to the L.-iimer Grounds, Rushmore. &c. : Lieut- 

 General Pilt-Rivcrs — The Consumption of Steam and Water in Steam- 

 Engines : W. L Ellis (J. Heywood). 



Serials. — (Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science, Jfuly (Churchill]. 

 Mathematical Gazette, No. 2 (Macmillan). — Physical .Society of London, 

 Proceedings. Vol. xii. Part 4 (Taylor and Francis)— Longman's M.igazine, 

 .August (I^ngmans). — Good Words. August (Isbister). — Sunday Magazine, 

 .■Vugust (Isbistcr). — Zeil.schrift fur Physikalische Chemie, xiv. Band. 

 3 Heft (Leipzig, Engelmann). — Journal of the Sanitary Institute, July 

 (Stanford). — Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute, 

 1S93, Vol. xxvi. (Wellington). — Humanitarian, August (Hutchinson).— 

 Century Illustrated Magazine, August (Unwin). — New Science Review, 

 Vol. I, No. r (26 Henrietta Street). — EnKliah Illustrated Magazine. ■ 

 August (108 Strand).— Chambers's Journal, August (Chambers). — Proceed- 

 ings of the Edinburgh Mathematical Society, Vol. xii. (Williams and 

 Norgate). — Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society, Vol. L. Parts, ' 

 No. 199 (Longmans).— Geological Journal, August (Stanford). — Natiooal I 

 Review, August (.Arnold). — Contemporary Review, August (Isbister). ' 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Lord Kelvin on General Physics. II. By Prof. 



Oliver J. Lodge, F.R.S 313 



The Flora of Ceylon. By James Britten 316 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Pease: "Biskra and the Oases and Desert of the 



Zibans" 3' 7 



Pringle : " Practical Photo-Micrography " 318 



Collins: "Twelve Charts of the Tidal Streams on 

 the West Coast of Scotland " 318 



Letters to the Editor:— 



On Some Methods in Meteorology. — A. B. M. . . . 318 



Magnetism of Rock Pinnacles. — Rev. E. Hill . . . 318 | 

 The Aurora Australis.—H. C. Russell, C.M.G., [ 



F.R.S 3«9 I 



Absence of Butterflies.— D. Wetterhan 319 



A Strange Light on Mars 319 



The International Geological Congress. By W. j 



Topley, F.R.S 319 | 



The Discs of Jupiter's Satellites. liy W. J. S. 



Lockyer 320 



Geology and Scenery in Ireland. (IllustrateJ.) By 



Prof. Grenville A. J. Cole 32,1 



Notes 3-t 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Spcclroscopic Velocities of Binaries 327 



The Institution of Naval Architects 32S 



On the Newtonian Constant of Gravitation. 1. 



(/Iluslialfd.) By Prof C. V. Boys, F.R.S 330 



University and Educational Intelligence 33-1 



Scientific Serials .^ 



Societies and Academies 3.> 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received 33'j 



I 



