April 19, 1900] 



NATURE 



603 



A new feature in the present number is the extension of the 

 bibliography to microscopical technique and bacteriology. 



Tn^. Journal of Botany for February, March, and April con- 

 tains several articles of more than usual interest. Mr. C. R. P. 

 Andrews records the discovery in the Channel Islands of two 

 grasses new to Britain, Phalaris minor and Milium scabrnm, both 

 apparently native ; and Mr. Arthur Bennett, the occurrence of 

 Potamogeton rutilus, also new to Britain, in Surrey. Dr. A. B. 

 Rendle reviews the British species of Naias, now amounting to 

 four (including one found at present in geological deposits only), 

 although the first discovery of the genus as British was as recent 

 as 1850. The very useful review of the algological literature 

 for 1899 will, we hope, be continued in future numbers. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 



London. 



" Further Note on the Influence 

 Air on Bacteria." By Allan 

 Communicated by 



M.A. 



Royal Society, April 5.- 

 of Temperature of Liquid 

 Macfadyen, M.D., and S. Rowland 

 Lord Lister, P.R.S. 



In a previous communication (Roy. Soc. Proc. February i, 

 1900) it was shown that no apprecial)le influence was exerted 

 upon the vital properties of bacteria when exposed for 20 hours 

 to the temperature of liquid air (-183° C. to -192° C). 

 Further experiments have since been made in which the 

 organisms were again exposed to the temperature of liquid air 

 for a much longer period, viz. seven days. 



The organisms employed were B. typhosus, B. coli communis, 

 B. diphtherias, B. proteiis vulgaris, B. acidi lactici, B. anthracis 

 (sporing culture), Spirillum cholerae asiatica. Staphylococcus 

 pyogenes aureus, B. phosphorescens, a Sarcina, a Saccharomyces, 

 and unsterilised milk. 



Instead of being exposed as formerly on the actual media in 

 which they were growing, the organisms were submitted to the 

 cooling process in the lorm of a broth emulsion in hermetically 

 sealed fine quill tubing. This allows of complete immersion, 

 and effects a considerable economy in the amount of liquid air 

 used, besides greatly facilitating manipulation. The liquid air 

 was kindly furnished by Prof. Dewar, and the experiment was 

 conducted in his laboratory. 



In the course of the experiment, the loss by evaporation of 

 the liquid air was made up by adding fresh portions from time 

 to time. In this way the temperature of about - 190° C. was 

 maintained uninterruptedly through the whole period of the 

 experiment. At the same time considerable care had to be 

 taken in conducting the first cooling, in order to avoid fracture 

 of the quill tubes. A preliminary cooling was therefore effected 

 by means of solid CO.,. After the expiration of a week, the 

 lubes were removed with cork-tipped forceps, and placed in a 

 strong glass vessel till thawing was complete. The tubes were 

 then opened, and the contents transferred to suitable culture 

 media. In each case, a direct microscopical examination was 

 made to detect any possible structural changes. 



It is a remarkable fact that, notwithstanding the enormous 

 mechanical strain to which the organisms must have been ex- 

 posed, a strain far exceeding in amount any capable of being 

 inuduced hitherto by direct mechanical means, not the slightest 

 structural alteration could be detected. 



The sub-cultures made at the conclusion of the experiment 

 grew well, and in no instance could any impairment in the 

 vitality of the organisms be detected. In one or two instances 

 (inly, growth was slightly delayed, an effect which might have 

 !)cLn due to other causes. The photogenic bacteria grew and 

 emitted light, and the samples of milk became curdled. 



The above experiments show that bacteria can be cooled 

 down to - 190° C. for a period of seven days without any appre- 

 ciable impairment of their vitality. 



It has not yet been possible to undertake the e:^periments 

 with liquid hydrogen. 



Geological Society, April 4,— J. J. H. Teall, F.R.S., 

 President, in the chair. — Additional notes on some eruptive 

 rocks from New Zealand, by Frank Rutley. The author 

 suggests a comparison of certain ancient rhyolites of Great 

 Britain with those of New Zealand affected by solfataric action. 

 As to the causes which may convert a glassy into a lithoidal 

 rhyolite, we still seem to lack information: it is possible 



NO. 1590, VOL. 61] 



that the action of steam may be instrumental in effecting such a 

 change, but this is probably only an occasional agent, and the 

 more general cause of .such changes m^st be sought elsewhere. 

 — On the discovery and occurrence of minerals containing rare 

 elements, by Baron A. E. Nordenskiold. The first mineral 

 referred to is scheelite, and the next cerite, which contains no 

 less than four rare metals. The incandescent light produced 

 when the latter mineral is fused with charcoal-powder was first 

 observed by Cronstedt in 1751. The discovery of glucina, 

 lithia, selenium and yttria is next referred to. Minerals con- 

 taining yttria and oxides related to it were, at one time, thought 

 to be almost limited to certain pegmatite-veins running in a 

 broad zone on both sides of the 60th parallel of latitude. 

 Latterly, fluocerite, orthite and gadolinite have been found in 

 Dalecarlia ; and among these minerals Benedicks discovered a 

 silicate of yttrium containing 1*5 per cent, of nitrogen and 

 helium. The author discovered kainosite, a silico-carbonate of 

 yttrium and calcium, among minerals from Hittero ; and the 

 same mineral was subsequently discovered in the flucan, fissures, 

 and drusy cavities at the Nordmarken mines. The last- 

 mentioned discovery and others related to it appear to suggest 

 that the mode of formation of fissure-minerals is not so unlike 

 that of the pegmatite-veins of the primary rocks as is generally 

 supposed. Thorium, discovered by Berzelius in 1829, was 

 originally obtained from the rich mineral-locality of Langesund 

 (called Brevig in mineralogical literature), but it has .since been 

 recorded from other localities, including Arendal and Finnish 

 Lapland. It is now obtained from the monazite-sand of rivers 

 in the Brazils and South Carolina. Thorite contains about 

 •5 per cent, of inactive gas, probably a mixture of nitrogen and 

 helium ; but the latter element was first obtained from the 

 mineral cleveite, also containing thorium, discovered by the 

 author in 1877. Other minerals bearing nitrogen, argon or 

 helium are referred to ; and under the head of minerals bearing 

 tantalum, mention is made of Giesecke's discoveries in Green- 

 land. Among these is fergusonite, one of the richest sources 

 hitherto known for obtaining that mysterious gas, or mixture of 

 gases, which on our planet seems to be almost exclusively con- 

 fined to minerals containing rare earths. " The group of earths, 

 as well as the group of ga.ses, of which we are here speaking, 

 might, therefore, be compared with certain genera among organic 

 beings, whose species, having not yet fully differentiated, offer 

 to the descriptive zoologist or botanist difficulties analogous to 

 those with which chemists meet in endeavouring to separate the 

 rare earths and rare gases." 



Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, April 9. — M. Maurice Levy in 

 the chair. —Funeral orations on the late M. Joseph Bertrand, 

 delivered by MM. Jules Lemaitre, Maurice Levy, Berthelot, 

 Ga.ston Darboux, A. Cornu, Duclaux, Gaston Paris, and Georges 

 Perrot. — On the transmission of the radiation of radium through 

 substances, by M. Henri Becquerel. In order to ascertain 

 whether the rays transmitted through a screen are transformed 

 rays from the radio- active source or secondary rays emitted by 

 the screen, experiments were made on the shadow cast by a 

 body placed on the side of the screen opposite to the source. It 

 appears that part, at least, of the secondary radiation is not 

 deviated in a magnetic field, as is the case with the radiation of 

 radium, whilst another portion is possibly due to partial diffusion. 

 The absorption of the incident radiation increases with the dis- 

 tance of the screen from the source, as has been previously 

 observed. — On the density and analysis of sulphur perfluoride, 

 by MM. H. Moissan and P. Lebeau. The density of the 

 gaseous perfluoride of .sulphur, the preparation of which was 

 described in a previous communication, is found to be 5*03, 

 compared with air. The analysis of the compound was effected 

 by decomposing it by the vapour of sodium at a red heat, a 

 mixture of sodium sulphide and fluoride being thus obtained, 

 and also by heating with sulphur or selenium in glass vessels 

 and measuring the volume of the silicon fluoride evolved. The 

 results are in accordance with the formula SF^, the hexavalent 

 character of sulphur being thus clearly demonstrated. — On the 

 fossil ferns of coal, by M. Grand' Eury. A description of the 

 roots of the various species of feyns occurring in the fossil 

 forests of the coal beds at Saint- Etienne. — Immunity against 

 symptomatic carbuncle after the injection of preventive serum 

 and natural virus, either separately or together. Experiments 

 with sheep show that complete immunity is produced by 

 successive inoculation with serum and virus, but not by the 



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