August 30, 1883] 



NA TURE 



43i 



sodium, by N. Beketoff. The amount of heat disengaged 

 during the complete hydration of sodium has been found 

 equal to 55,000 calories, which figure, combined with that of 

 Thomsen, gives 100,260 calories for the heat of oxidation of one 

 molecule of sodium (50, 130 for each atom). — On the naphtha 

 lamp for burning heavy oik, examined at the Chemical Society's 

 competition, by M. Andreeff. — On the naphtha of Caucasus, by 

 MM. Markovnikoff and OgloMin ; second part.— The chief con- 

 stituent parts of this naphtha, about So per cent, of it, would be 

 hydrocarbons of the C n H„„ serie — C 8 H 18 , C,,II 1H , and so on 

 to C, 5 H 30 . The authors propose to call them naphfhenes, and 

 describe their properties at length. The aromatic hydrocarbons 

 constitute about 10 per cent, of the naphtha, partly known 

 before, and partly seeming to belong to new series isomeric with 

 the styrol series and its isologues. The oxygenated products, 

 partly acid and partly neutral, play also an important part in the 

 naphtha, which contains also a few phenols and lower hydro- 

 carbons. — On naphtha; an answer to MM. Markovnikoff and 

 Ogloblin, by Prof. Mendeleeff. — On the continuous graphic 

 determination of the depth of shallow waters, by Prof. Petrus- 

 hevsky. The author proposes to adjust to a boat a pole whose 

 longer end would be dragged at the bottom of the river, whilst 

 its shorter end would draw on a board the configuration of the 

 bottom. — On the determination of the average coloration of a 

 surface painted with different colours, by the same. — On the 

 influence of light on the electrical conductibility of selenium, bv 

 N. Hesehus. 



Archives dcs Sciences Physiques et Naturelles, July 15. — Veri- 

 fication of some atomic weights, by M. C. Marignac ; firsl 

 memoir, bismuth and manganese. — American ants, by Henry 

 MacCook. — Ripple marks studied in Lake Leman, by Dr. F. 

 A. Forel (one sheet of illustrations).— New researches on the 

 Saturnian system, by W. Meyer. — Hypoxanthine in potatoes, 

 by A. Weber. — Chloride of calcium, by V. Meyer. — Remarks 

 on methods of determining vapour densities, by Alois Janny. — 

 Acetoximes, by J. Petraczek. — On the aldoximes, by V. Meyer. 



Rcndiconti of the h'oyal Lombard Institute of Sciences and 

 Letters, July 12, 1SS3. — Descriptive catalogue of a new series of 

 rare or unpublished Greek coins and medals preserved in the 

 Royal Numismatic Cabinet of Milan, by the curator, E. B. 

 ■Hi. Amongst the 128 extremely rare and in some cases 

 even unique specimens here described are medals of Julius Ccesar 

 with Augustus from Achulla in Zeugitania, ani of the two 

 African Gordians from Cilicia, besides several coins from 

 Sabrata, Tluena, Clypea, and other North African towns, in- 

 cluding one of the Mauritaiiian king Ptolemy, son of Juba II., 

 absolutely unique. The general catalogue of all the oriental 

 and mediaeval series, together with the historic and commemora- 

 tive medals, is making rapid progress, and its publication is 

 promised in a short time. The complete legends as far as legible 

 are given in all cases, together with a brief description of the 

 subjects. — The structure of the seeds in the family of the Oleacea? 

 fully described, by Prof. R. Pirotta. — On the functions of a 

 single variant with more than two periods, it, it, «" . . ., by 

 Prof, F. Casorati. — Meteorological observations at the Observa- 

 tory of Milan, with tables of barometrical and thermometrical 

 changes, and records of relative humidity, direction of the winds, 

 and cloudiness during the month of Tune. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 



Paris 

 Academy of Sciences, August 20. — M. Blanchard, presi- 

 dent, in the chair. — Observations on the smaller planets made 

 at the great meridian of the Paris Observatory during the second 

 quarter of the year 1S83, by M. Mouchez. — On a letter of 

 General Stebnitski concerning the figure of the earth, by M. 

 Faye. The Russian savant holds that the actual form of the 

 globe, as expressed by the ideal continuation of the sea-level 

 beneath the continents, differs from the theoretic ellipsoid not 

 only in the undulations produced by the attraction of mountain 

 ranges, and of the denser parts occurring here and there in the 

 crust of the earth, but also in the deformations due to the attrac- 

 tion of the continents. In reply M. Faye contends that the 

 mathematical surface of the globe is not modified by these causes, 

 and that the level of the oceans is not sensibly affected by the 

 influence of the mainland. — A study of the deformations and 

 development of heat produced by the use of round-faced ham- 

 mers in forging, by M. Tresca. — Observations touching a passage 

 in M. V. Burg's recent communication on the use of coppe r 



as a preservative against cholera, by M. Vulpian. The 

 author explains that a statement attributed to him by M. 

 Tresca, regarding the use of copper as a prophylactic by 

 English and French officers in Egypt, India, and Cochin-China, 

 is groundless. He adds that he regards the advantage of the 

 use of c ipper as a preservative as extremely doubtful. — On the 

 separation of gallium (continued). Separation from tungsten and 

 phosphoric acid, by M. Lecoq. — Experimental researches on 

 explosive gas motors, by M. A. Witz. — Researches on the iodide 

 of nitrogen ; on chemical radiometers or iodide of nitrogen 

 photometers ; on the preparation in a low temperature of nitro- 

 gen, iodide of ammonium, and i^date of ammonia under the 

 influence of light, and on the double iodide of copper and 

 nitrogen, by M. Antony Guyard. — A contribution to the history 

 of the formation of coal, by M. B. Renault. The author con- 

 cludes that in many cases fossil coal is produced by the trans- 

 formation in situ of the constituent elements of the plants whose 

 forms it has preserved ; that both the wood and bark have 

 entered into the formation of coal, and that in the process of 

 transformation the organic elements have diminished in size in a 

 determinable proportion depending on the primitiue density of 

 the constituent organic matter. — Remarks on the Phylloglossum 

 Drummondii, by M. C. Eg. Bertrand. 

 Berlin 

 Physiological Society, July 27. — Prof. H. Munk spoke 

 regarding the doctrine of the functional restoration of the cere- 

 brum first deduced by Flourens from experiments he made on 

 the cerebrum of doves. Flourens had observed that, on the 

 excision of but a small part of the greater brain, the disorders 

 which resulted in the sensuous perceptions and intelligence of 

 the animal operated on ceased after some time, and the animal 

 then acted as before in its normal state. On the excision, how - 

 ever, of a larger part from the cerebrum, the subsequent 

 restoration was only incomplete. Were, again, a very large part 

 cut off from the greater brain, the resulting disorders continued 

 to the end of the animal's life. Flourens had further concluded 

 that the functions of the whole of the cerebrum were strictly 

 equivalent to one another, and that every part of it was capable 

 of vicariously taking the place of every other part. This doc- 

 trine propounded by Flourens regarding cerebral functions 

 having, however, been overthrown in consequence of investiga- 

 tions by Fritsch and Hitzig and replaced by that of the localisa- 

 tion of particular functions in particular parts of the cortex 

 cerebri, the phenomenon which to all observers, on the 

 removing of less than a quarter from the hemisphere of the 

 cerebrum, had suggested the idea of functional restoration of 

 the brain, now received a different interpretation. By some in- 

 vestigators it was maintained that the restoration was to be ex- 

 plained by the function of the excided part of the brain being 

 taken over either by the corresponding part of the other side or 

 by some other part of the brain situated on the same side, in the 

 cortex, or in the interior, in either case in addition to its 

 own special function. Others, again, deemed the restoration 

 only an apparent one ; in reality no function was suspended by 

 the removing of a part of the cerebrum, it was only a check 

 that was imposed through the irritation of the act of separation, 

 and when that was relieved, the normal functions came agaiu 

 into play. Prof. Munk has for several years carried on inves- 

 tigations into the functions of the cortex cerebri, leading, 

 as is known, to the conclusion that a limited part of the 

 cortex situated on the flap of the^ occiput was the seat of the 

 central visual perceptions (the sphere of vision) and that another 

 exactly defined part of the cortex, situated on the flap of the 

 temples, marked the site of the acoustic perceptions (the sphere 

 of hearing), while a third region was appropriated to the 

 sphere of feeling. He has further prosecuted his inquiries into 

 the question of the restoration of cerebral functions, and by ex- 

 periment has endeavoured to determine whether the assumed 

 restoration of functions previously discharged by parts of the 

 cerebral cortex now removed were a true statement of the 

 fact, and if so how this was accomplished. He first affirms the 

 universally recognised fact that the restoration of matter lost to 

 the brain by the excision of a part or parts of it in no case ever 

 happened, but in every i.case after the excision the remaining 

 mass only cicatrised. As regards functional restoration, then, 

 his experiments in the spheres of sight and hearing led him to 

 the following conclusions : — Were the spheres of sight or the 

 spheres of hearing removed from an animal, it remained blind 

 or deaf for the rest of its life ; no restoration of the faculty in 

 question ever took place in either case, though only limited por. 



