16 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [January, 
show that the sting and the poison apparatus of the bee has a further purpose than 
that of a defensive or an offensive weapon. Another interesting fact suggests itself 
in connection with this: So far as I know, most of the insects “that have a stinging 
epparalus similar to that of the bee are collectors and storers of honey.—Scz. Gossip, 
227, 86. 
— The structure of the diatom valve is the chief subject considered in the last number 
of the Journal of the Quekett Micr. Society. Thg paper by Mr. Deby is of special 
interest, as the author has based his conclusions upon a study of untreated valves from 
living diatoms, supplemented with those treated with reagents and by fossil forms. He 
finds that the valve may (for convenience of elucidation) be said to consist of three 
layers—an outer continuous one, which is thin, rarely silicified, and readily dissolved 
by acids; a thicker inner one, also continuous, but silicified, and an intermediate wall 
of silica completely perforated, giving the valve its appearance of arcolation. This 
view, as elaborated by the author, seems more in accord with our knowledge of the 
structure of other vegetable cells than those of the well-known diatomists, Miiller, Van 
Ermengem, Flogel, Cox, and Van Heur, etc.—A4ot. Gaz., Nov.,’86. 
— Professor Poncet, at a meeting of a Medical Society in ees France, naaeetele 
an extremely interesting case in which pieces of bone were taken from a kid and grafted 
on to the tibia or leg-bone of a boy, who had so suffered from the death of the bone as 
to necessitate the removal of a considerable portion of it! The wound in the leg healed 
and the boy has now a firm and solid tibia.—Sczence, vili, 511, 1886. 
— Aug. Zung, in Monzteur du Practicten (October, 1886), presents the introductory 
chapter of acourse of microscopy, medical and pharmaceutical. Averring that such 
works as exist upon the subject are either too general or too special to be a convenient 
guide, he proposes to present one which w vill attain a mean between these posi- 
tions. He thinks that such works as he mentions, as those of Robin, and Bizzozéro, 
and Finket, have the effect of causing the microscope to assume a position either sec- 
ondary or of entire uselessness to physicians and pharmacists, and it is with a view to 
counteract this indifference that the course of practical microscopy in medicine and 
pharmacy is proposed. The work is to appear regularly in each number of the journal 
beginning with the description of the apparatus, accessories, etc., illustrated so far as 
necessary. Weshall attempt to follow this series of articles for the benefit of our readers 
and present the essential points of M. Zung’s course from time to time. 
— THE NEW OPTICAL GLASS.—At the meeting of the Royal Microscopical Society on 
Nov. roth, 86, Mr. T. Myall, Jr., called attention to an apochromatic objective worked 
out by Powell & Leland. They had procured some of the new kinds of optical glass 
from Java and made a ¥%-in. homogeneous immersion objective on their own formula. 
The objective which they manufactured compared favorably with those of Zeiss. The 
instrument was upon exhibition, and stood well tests applied to it with both axial and 
oblique illumination. Mr. Powell's eye-piece had a magnifying power of 40 diame- 
ters fer se, and even under this severe test the new objective “did not break down. 
This eye-piece was higher than the highest in the Zeiss series, which is only 27. The 
formula of the Powell lens was less complex than the Zeiss, fewer lenses being employed. 
Dr. Dallinger, the president of the Society, said that he had had the opportunity of 
examining “the new lens of Mr. Powell and was quite astonished at its definition. He 
had had the opportunity of examining very carefully a set of the new lenses by Zeiss and 
was perfectly convinced of the immense gain they would be to the microscopist so long 
as they were made by the best makers. 
— Dr. V.C. Vaughan, of Michigan, presented at the meeting of its Board of Health 
in October, 1886, a report upon the present status of the tyrotoxicon question. He 
shows that the various picnic and hotel cases of gastro-intestina irritation were due to 
the use of milk in some form, all other possible sources having been eliminated. It 
was learned that in one case the milk was milked at noon and placed while hot in cans 
and carted eight miles during the hottest part of the day, and delivered in the evening. 
Milk is usually cooled in vessels surrounded by very cold water for 8 to 12 hours before 
transportation. Examination of milk like that which had caused illnesss by chemical 
treatment revealed the presence of a substance which produced a burning sensation 
upon the tongue, and when administered to a cat caused retching and vomiting and 
collapse, followed by recovery. The conclusion was that the illness was due to tyro- 
toxicon, the product of a fermentive change in the milk, due to improper management 
of the same. He traces a connection between tyrotoxicon and cholera-infantum. 
— The death of the distinguished physiologist, Paul Bert, occurred during last Novem- 
ber, in the 54th year of his age. 
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