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DeEcEMBER 18, 1913] 
that the synthesis is new, but he knew that formalde- 
hyde had been produced by ultra-violet light. Prof. 
Armstrong’s examples were mainly reactions, which 
could be brought about by human agency in the 
laboratory, but that the conditions were unlikely to 
occur naturally at an early stage of the world’s history. 
Because Prof. Armstrong has difficulty in under- 
standing the production of asymmetry, this does not 
obscure the point that energy can be accumulated by 
synthesis without chlorophyll. The problem of asym- 
metry would follow the production of organic matter. 
The new idea is not the synthesis but the point of 
view, and he considers that under the natural condi- 
tions synthesis would be aided by colloids even if the 
colloid were not absolutely necessary. In many cases, 
such as synthesis in presence of uranium, colloid 
would also be present. f : 
Friday, September 12, was devoted to a joint sitting 
with the subsection of psychology, and the proceedings 
will be recorded in the report of that subsection. 
On one of the reports there was a general discus- 
sion, in which Dr. A. D. Waller, F.R.S., Sir Frederic 
Hewitt, Prof. Gilbert Barling, Dr. McCardie, Mr. 
F. J. Pearse, Prof. Saundby, and Prof. Vernon Har- 
court, F.R.S., took part. These speakers unanimously 
agreed that there should be some State regulation of 
anesthesia. 
The present position is that anyone can administer 
anzesthetics such as chloroform, ether, cocaine, &c., with- 
out any restriction. Sir Frederic Hewitt pointed out 
that a railway accident was followed by an inquiry, 
but there was no inquiry after a death from anzsthesia. 
Porters and cloak-room assistants do not drive engines, 
yet anyone can administer an anesthetic to another 
person. The object of this discussion was to urge on 
the Government the necessity of regulating the ad- 
ministration of anesthetics. Motions to this effect 
have been passed by the British Medical Association, 
the Medico-Legal Society, the International Congress 
of Medicine, &c. 
Dr. Duffield explained the report on calorometric 
observations on man, by lantern slides illustrating the 
work done. The carbon dioxide output has been 
_ especially studied. During the early stages of work 
carbon dioxide accumulates in the body, and hence 
the output rises slowly. At the end of ten minutes 
the output becomes uniform, showing that the body is 
sufficiently saturated to give off the carbon dioxide 
as rapidly as it is formed. After the end of the 
work the excess of carbon dioxide must escape, and 
hence there is a slight continuation of the increased 
output. 
Prof. E. Wace Carlier described the histological 
structure of the post-pericardial body of the skate. 
It is a small body the size of a grain of rice. The 
structure resembles that of the carotid gland in 
an and he considers that it is a chromaffin 
gland. 
Prof. Leonard Hill, F.R.S., gave two communica- 
tions. The first was a demonstration of his kata- 
thermometer, which consists of two thermometers 
heated to about 120° F. The time necessary for them 
to cool from 110°-100° F. is recorded; one has a dry 
bulb and the other has a piece of moist cloth round the 
bulb. These give an indication of the physical condi- 
tion of the air, and this physical condition is, in 
ordinary circumstances, of far greater importance to 
well being than the presence or absence of respiratory 
waste products. 
His second communication (with Dr. McQueen) 
was on the pulse and resonance of the tissues. Where 
the arteries are superficial, the blood pressure, as 
measured by the sphygomanometer, is lower than 
NATURE 
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where the arteries are surrounded by the tissues. The | 
NO. 2303, VOL. 92] 
463 
tissues resonate with the arterial pulsations, and thus 
the pressure appears higher. 
Prof. A. B. Macallum, F.R.S., and Dr. J. B. Colip 
described the blackening of nerve cells, but not nerve 
fibres, with silver nitrate. The change is not due to 
chloride, phosphate, or protein. It is due to some 
reducing substance which they believe to be an 
oxyphenol allied to adrenaline. The medulla of the 
suprarenal bodies gives a similar reaction. 
Dr. F. W. Mott, F.R.S., read a paper on the bio- 
chemistry of the neurone. He commenced by point- 
ing out that the Nissl granules disappear from the 
nerve cells of animals fed on white bread and from 
cells of which the axons have been cut. These ap- 
pearances can be seen only in fixed cells. Living cells 
suspended in lymph or cerebro-spinal fluid show no 
Nissl granules, but the contents appear like an emul- 
sion. With dark ground illumination the emulsion ~ 
particles appear luminous, but show no brownian 
movement. No particles are visible in the axon where 
it is surrounded by the mycelin sheath. Dilute am- 
monia causes the cells to become irregular, the par- 
ticles to escape, and to show brownian movement. 
Acids and some dyes cause appearances like Nissl 
granules. 
Cells placed in methylene blue stain but show no 
granules. If.deprived of oxygen, the cells do not 
stain blue as the leuco base is formed. On allowing 
oxygen to enter the tube, the cells stain, showing that 
the leuco base had been absorbed by the cells. 
Dr. J. Tait described experiments on blood coagula- 
tion, in which he observed agglutination of corpuscles 
to the edges of the wound in Gammarus and in tad- 
poles. Some crustacea have blood which does not 
coagulate, yet hemorrhage is stopped as rapidly as 
in those whose blood does coagulate. It is difficult to 
understand the advantage of coagulable blood. 
Dr. J. Tait and Miss Macnaughton demonstrated the 
advantages of the heart of the hedgehog for perfusion 
experiments. It can be removed and kept beating by 
perfusion with Ringer solution at any temperature 
between that of the body and ordinary room tem- 
perature. 
Dr. J. Tait and Mr. R. J. S. McDowall: The 
muscles which extend from the skeleton to the skin 
of the back of hedgehogs will contract at tempera- 
tures from 040° C., and they require no oxygen 
supply. A muscle placed in a narrow glass tube filled 
with Ringer’s solution will remain active for hours 
even if repeatedly stimulated. 
Dr. Dawson Turner read a paper describing the 
effect of treating exophthalmic goitre with radium. 
He found that the treatment was beneficial. 
The following three papers are of cognate interest, 
and they are therefore described together. 
Prof. Georges Dreyer and Dr. E. W. Ainley Walker 
read two papers on the relation of organs to the 
general body weight. The normal relation is im- 
portant, as variations are of interest in studying 
abnormal conditions. These authors find that the 
relation of the blood volume to body weight is given 
(body weight)”, 
K 
where n and K are constants. For birds and mammals 
n is approximately 0°72, and for cold-blooded animals 
n is 13. Therefore, for the former, the determining 
factor is the body surface, and for the latter the 
weight of the muscles. Similar relations hold for the 
area of the aorta and of the trachea. 
Altitude affects the blood volume by a variation in 
the constant K. On going to high altitudes the blood 
volume decreases and the haemoglobin content in- 
creases, pointing to concentration by removal of water. 
The hemoglobin is slightly increased after severa? 
by the formula: Blood volume= 
