OcTOBER 2, 1913] 
NATURE 143 
The whole was enclosed in a bath the tempera- 
ture of which could be varied between the limits | 
stated above. Dr. Bridgman finds that the com- 
pressibility and thermal expansion of a liquid may 
decrease with increasing temperature and may increase 
with increase of pressure. He is disposed to attribute 
these remarkable results to deformation of the actual 
molecules when forced into contact at these high 
pressures. 
PropaBLy no branch of the community is more open 
to be defrauded than those who must perforce exclude 
carbohydrates from their diet. The unsuspecting 
patient purchases foods which are not only glaringly 
misrepresented, but also may be positively harmful 
to him. It is to be feared, moreover, that the medical 
adviser is often but little better informed, though in 
default of a source of trustworthy information as to 
the nature of the commercial products he can scarcely 
be held responsible. The Connecticut Agricultural 
Experiment Station has done great service, therefore, 
in issuing a lengthy report dealing with the composi- 
tion and merits of all the so-called diabetic flours, 
breads, biscuits, and other diabetic foods of both 
European and American origin—the list is an exhaus- 
tive one. To all but the few initiated the result of 
the inquiry must be very startling. By far the greater 
number of the foods examined were definitely fraudu- 
lent in that they did not fulfil the claims made for 
them, and many of them indeed contained as much 
starch as is present in ordinary white bread. The 
report also deals with the excessive cost of such foods, 
which has, in the past, rendered their use almost pro- 
hibitive to the poor man. A select list of genuine 
diabetic foods, which return good value, is given, in 
which it is satisfactory to find the products of British 
firms of repute. Our chief purpose in directing atten- 
tion to the report is, however, to urge the necessity 
of some control being exercised over the indiscriminate 
misrepresentation of foodstuffs of which this is a type 
with its attendant menace to the public health. The 
report merits the widest possible publication. 
OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 
ASTRONOMICAL OCCURRENCES FOR OCTOBER :— 
Oct. 2. 3h. om. Mars at quadrature to the Sun. 
», 14h. om. Jupiter at quadrature to the Sun. 
6. 6h. 21m. Jupiter in conjunction with the 
Moon (Jupiter 4° 51’ N.). 
8. 3h. 37m. Uranus in conjunction with the 
Moon (Uranus 3° 35’ N.). 
13. 14h. om. Uranus stationary. 
14. gh. om. Venus nearest the Sup. 
1g. gh. 19m. Saturn in conjunction with the 
Moon (Saturn 6° 56’ S.). 
21. 13h. 7m. Mars in conjunction with the 
Moon (Mars 3° 55’ S.). 
» 18h. om. Neptune at quadrature to the 
Sun. 
22. 7h. 54m. Neptune in conjunction with the 
Moon (Neptune 4° 53’ S.). 
27. 5h. om. Uranus at quadrature to the Sun. 
», 8h. 31m. Venus in conjunction with the 
Moon (Venus 3° 17’ N.). 
30. 20h. 17m. Mercury in conjunction with the 
Moon (Mercury 2° 2’ N.). 
31. 13h. om. Neptune stationary. 
NO. 2292, VOL. 92| 
Comets 1913b (MercaLF) aND I913c (NEUJMIN).— 
Prof. H. Kobold’s ephemeris for comet Metcalf during 
the present week is as follows (Astronomische Nach- 
richten, No. 4682) :— : 
M.T. Berlin. 
R.A. (true) Dec. (true) Mag. 
ho m s. . . 
Oct. 2 egyiaras) ~~. +72, Go S2 
zi Perna eeg i.) OG)52°2 
4 223449 +. 67 234 
5 2218 45 «-. 64 42°t So 
6 APG Os” J+ 9) OF 5 ii4 
7 BIER DOS van) 50. 53°3 
8 Bue4g 16) 7.4)" © 555070 
9 2137 9 «+ +52 437 S'o 
This comet is now in Cepheus and rapidly reducing 
its northern declination, moving towards the constella- 
tion of Cygnus. It is well up above the horizon and 
gaining in magnitude. 
On the other hand, comet Neujmin is decreasing 
in magnitude, becoming fainter than magnitude 12. 
This comet seems to be moving in an elliptical orbit, 
and Prof. Cohn finds a period of nine years. Its 
appearance has attracted the attention of numerous 
observers, since while the nucleus has appeared quite 
stellar, the gaseous envelope has been alternating 
between visibility and disappearance. 
ANOTHER ComET.—A Kiel telegram, dated Septem- 
ber 27, distributes the information communicated by 
Prof. Hussey that Mr. Delaren on September 26, 
toh. 292m. M.T. Laplata, discovered a comet of the 
tenth magnitude, its position being given as R.A. 
2th. 54m. 16s. and declination 2° 34’ yj tls bp sel lig 
the issue _of The Times for September jo it is 
suggested that probably this comet may be identical 
with Westphal’s comet, which is now due, and for 
which a search has been continually made. If it be 
Westphal’s, then it will move northward during the 
next month and will increase considerably in bright- 
ness, possibly becoming visible to the naked eye. At 
its appearance in 1852 it was a fairly conspicuous 
naked eye object. 
Tue SpectRuM OF e-Canum VENATICORUM.—In two 
previous notes in this column (June 5 and July 24) 
reference has been made to Prof. Belopolsky’s ob- 
servations of the spectrum of this star, the lines in 
the spectrum showing striking variations of a periodic 
nature. The Astronomische Nachrichten, No. 4681, 
contains now the preliminary discussion of a large 
number of spectrograms, sixty-seven in number, which 
he has been able to secure in the interval between 
April 15 and June 23. All the photographs were taken 
with the 30-inch and a three-prism spectrograph, the 
exposures lasting one hour; an iron comparison was 
photographed twice at each exposure. In the present 
communication Prof. Belopolsky first describes in 
detail the appearance of the lines observed. From 
the measures of the intensity of the line 4413'00" he 
finds a period of 5"50 days, and he places several other 
lines in the same category, i.e. they become bright at 
the same time as 413,00. Another group of lines 
behaves in an opposite manner, disappearing when 
the former group become more intense ; the period is 
also very near 5'50 days. Other lines such as 
hydrogen, magnesium, calcium, and iron display little 
if any change. From the line of sight measures he 
finds a certain group of lines, which includes tales 
Mg., and Fe., which indicate no changes dependent 
on the 5°5 day period, while other lines display varia- 
tions of radial velocity equal in period to that of the 
intensity of the lines. Prof. Belopolsky suggests as 
an explanation of the above and other observations 
that a gaseous satellite or a gas ring moves round 
