Apri 18, 1907] 
NATURE 
599 
a given salt solution from a globulin suspension depends 
on the concentration of the suspension. The action of the 
ions of a neutral salt in dissolving globulin is treated as 
only another manifestation of the same electrical effect 
which enables them to coagulate arsenious sulphide. This 
theory of the colloidal state leads to a theory of equation 
(1) and of the laws of A in it, especially that MA/C is 
proportional to the sum of the squares of the valencies of 
the ions of the electrolyte. 
In Section v. the experiments of Hardy on the con- 
ductivities of globulin solutions are expressed by formula 
which admit of very simple interpretation, and connect 
these conductivities with those of ordinary electrolytes. 
In Section vi. globulin is shown to have probably a 
molecular mass 40,000 and a basicity 2, the alternative 
being a mass 60,000 and basicity 3. Further experiments 
like those of Hardy on the ionic velocity of globulin and 
also on the coefficient »* diffusion of globulin solutions 
would decide the matter, though doubtless various globulins 
differ in mass and basicity. A group, C,,H,,N,0,, re- 
lated to polypeptides and peptones, is shown to. be the 
predominant structure in albumins. The discrepant results 
of different experimenters on the precipitation of albumin 
by heavy metals fall into harmony when it is proved that 
they precipitated different integral numbers of a group 
such as this in combination with an equivalent of heavy 
metal. 
February 7.—‘‘ Experiments made to determine the 
Conditions under which ‘ Specific’ Bacteria derived from 
Sewage may be Present in the Air of Ventilating Pipes, 
Drains, Inspection Chambers, and Sewers.’? By Major 
W. H. Horrocks. Communicated by Colonel D. Bruce, 
C:B., B-R.S. 
Most sanitarians at the present time believe that when 
sewage is in a state of putrefaction and gas bubbles, rising 
through it, are bursting at the surface, bacteria may be 
ejected into the air of sewers. It is also considered possible 
that when sewage has dried on the surfaces of pipes 
bacteria may be separated as dried particles and carried 
some distance by currents of air passing through the pipes. 
But it is not generally credited that the mere passage of 
infected sewage through a well-laid drainage system will 
also cause the ejection of specific bacteria into the air 
contained in the pipes. The experiments detailed show 
that :— 
(1) The bursting of bubbles at the surface of sewage 
under artificial and natural conditions may cause the 
ejection of bacteria, which, if air currents are present, 
may be carried some distance. 
(2) Specific bacteria dried on the ventilating pipes of a 
drainage system may be separated and carried by currents 
of air passing through the system. 
(3) Specific bacteria may be ejected from fresh sewage 
flowing through a sewer under natural conditions, in- 
dependently of the creation of bubbles and the separation 
of dried particles. The ejection of bacteria occurs, not 
only when use is made of naked microbes such as are 
obtained from growths on agar, but also when typhoid 
stools are employed as the infecting agent. 
The results obtained, especially as regards the ejection 
of bacteria from fresh sewage, are of great importance, 
and indicate that the disconnection of a house-drainage 
system from a public sewer is sound in principle, and that 
it would not be wise to remove the disconnecting trap 
and ventilate sewers by means of house-ventilating pipes 
or soil pipes, 
Royal Microscopical Society, March 20. —Dr. J. W. H. 
Eyre, vice-president, in the chair.—Some South African 
Tardigrada: J. Murray. The author was indebted for 
the materials for his paper to Mr. W. Milne, of Uitenhage, 
Cape Colony, who, from time to time in 1906, forwarded 
moss containing bdelloid rotifers from various parts of 
Cape Colony. In addition to the rotifers, which were 
abundant, the moss yielded many Tardigrada. Fourteen 
species were found belonging to the genera Echiniscus, 
Milnesium, and Macrobiotus. Eight out of the fourteen 
species are distinct from any previously known.—Notes 
on a peculiar habitat of a Chlorophyte, Myxonema tenue : 
A. D. Hardy. The Myxonema tenue is usually found in 
rapidly flowing water frequently attached to submerged 
| ws NO: 1955, VOE. 75 
parts of river-side plants, but more often to stones and 
dead twigs; it is also found in the locality in stone-paved 
gutters in which there is a rapid flow of water. The 
author also found it growing feebly in a small fish pond, 
about 10 feet diameter, where the water was _ nearly 
stagnant, but on some gold fish in the pond it grew 
luxuriantly, and the author thinks that some interest 
attaches to the adaptation of this stream-loving Myxonema, 
which, unable to thrive in stagnant water, yet flourished 
on moving objects where it obtained necessary water 
friction. It may be added that the effect of this algal 
growth on the fishes was their premature death. 
April 11.—Sir W. D. Niven, 
vice-president, in the chair.—-An introduction to the 
metrical geometry of space of n dimensions: H. Bateman. 
—A note on Perott’s theorem: H. Hilton.—Poisson’s 
integral and its relation to the proof of Fourier’s theorem : 
Dr. E. W. Hobson.—The values of the parameters for 
which a definite integral can be zero: H. Bateman. 
Mathematical Society, 
Paris. 
Academy of Sciences, April 8.—M. A. Chauveau in 
the chair.—The photography of the infra-red solar 
spectrum: G. Millochau. By the use of alcoholic solu- 
tions of malachite green, full details of the exact method 
being given, the author has been able to prepare plates 
of high sensibility in the infra-red region. By the use of 
these plates photographs have been taken of the region 
0-750 m to 0-950 w, one Angstrom unit having a length 
of about o-1 mm. ‘These plates show that the band A has 
the same structure as the band B. The line Z, previously 
described as a short band in the infra-red, has now been 
resolved into lines.—The surface engendered by a circular 
helix: Eugéne Barré.—A problem of analysis intimately 
connected ‘with the problem of cooling of a heterogeneous 
bar: W. Stekloff.—Orthogonal systems of functions and 
the equation of Fredholm: Frédéric Riesz.—The altitude 
of the Grand Pic de la Meije: Paul Helbronner. The 
mean result of the measurements is 3982-5 metres (summit 
of the signal), differing only by 4 metres from the earlier 
result of Durand.—The action of a magnetic field on 
ionised air in motion: A. Blame. On the hypothesis that 
the mobilities of the ions are not modified by the magnetic 
field, an assumption shown to be accurate by direct experi- 
ment, it is found that the negative ions have a greater 
mobility than the positive ions, the ratios obtained varying 
between 1 and 1-6, the average of fourteen experiments 
giving 1-32.—The oscillations of a higher order (harmonics) 
in the electric spark: G. A. Hemsalech. The existence of 
harmonics in the electric sparlx is clearly demonstrated ex- 
perimentally by photographic means, an enlarged reproduc- 
tion of one of the photographs being shown. ‘Tt was found 
that the harmonics are in great part the cause of the lumin- 
osity of the metallic vapour in the spark.—The constitution 
of the atom and the law of Colomb: H. Peltlat. It was 
shown in a previous paper that to bring the current theory 
of the atom into harmony with experimental results either 
the atom must have a form approximating to a flattened 
disc or Colomb’s law ceases to be applicable at intra- 
atomic distances. In the present communication it is 
proved that a flattened form of the atom would not be 
stable, and consequently Colomb’s law must cease to be 
exact at the very small distances of the order of intra- 
atomic distances; the attracting force must increase less 
rapidly than the inverse of the square of the distance or 
the repulsive force more rapidly—Some observations con- 
cerning the note of M. Pellat on the constitution of the 
atom: Th. Temmasina. M. Pellat has assumed that the 
atom as a whole is neutral from the electric point of view ; 
if this hypothesis is not true, the further reasonings of 
M. Pellat fall to the ground.—An apparatus for measuring 
the flow of liquids: M. Krebs. A description of a simple 
apparatus giving at any instant the flow of a liquid in 
litres per hour. It has been successfully employed in 
measuring the consumption of petrol in trials of petrol 
motors.—Remarks on the preceding note: M. D’Arsonval. 
The apparatus is remarkable for its simplicity and exacti- 
tude, and will be of service in a great number of labor- 
atory . experiments.—Positive light: P. Villard.—The 
nickel-tin alloys: Léon Guillet. Referring to a recent 
4 
