48 



NA TURE 



{May 8, 1884 



the sunspots and terrestrial magnetic disturbances. — On the 

 apparent resistance of the voltaic arc usually employed in light- 

 houses, by M. F. Lucas. — Some results of repeated experiments con- 

 ducted at the School of Telegraphy on telluric electric currents, by M . 

 E. E. Blavier. — Description of a method for directly determining 

 the cause of the deficit in dynamo-electric machines, by M. G. 

 Cabanellas. — On the freezing point of the salts of biatomic metals, 

 by M. F. M. Raoult. This paper is accompanied by tables of 

 results for a large number of biatomic metals. — On the formation 

 of amides in separating sal ammoniacs from organic acids, by 

 M. N. Menschutkin. — On a glucoside yielded by the Boldo 

 [Boldoa fragram), by M. P. Chapoteaut. — Researches on water- 

 tight substances ; influence of baking and carbonic acid on the 

 induration of siliceous cements, by M. Ed. Landrin. — On the 

 presence of manganese in wines and a large number of other 

 vegetable and animal products, by M. E. J. Maumene. An 

 appreciable proportion of manganese was found in thirty-four 

 wines tested by the author, who infers that it exists in all wines, 

 as well as in wheat, rye, and many other substances. — Note on 

 the assimilating properties of the phosphoric acid contained in 

 rocks and in arable lands, by M. G. Lechartier. — Experimental 

 method of determining the physiological combustibility of various 

 substances, with tabulated results, by M. Schiitzenberger. — Re- 

 searches on the respiration of plants in the dark, by MM. G. 

 Bonnier and L. Mangin. — Further remarks on the zeolites asso- 

 ciated with the dolerites of the Chaux-de-Bergonne district, Puy- 

 de-D6me, by M. F. Gonnard. — Special distribution and localisa- 

 tion of the motor roots in the lumbo-sacral plexus, by MM. 

 Forgue and Lannegrace. — Geological section of the shaft sunk to 

 a depth of 502-50 metres at Montrond, Loire, presented by M. 

 Laur. At, this depth a sheet of mineral water was reached, 

 accompanied by much carbonic acid, which was ejected to a 

 height of 35 metres above the surface. 

 Berlin 

 Physiological Society, March 2S. — Dr. Cohnstein com- 

 municated observations he had made on rabbits and dogs 

 regarding the nature of the blood of fcetuses and new-born 

 animals. He first counted the number of blood-corpuscles in a 

 cubic millimetre of blood, and found that throughout the whole 

 course of the fcetal intra-uterine state they increased progressively 

 with the nge of the embryo, but yet never attained to the number 

 present in the mother's blood. After birth, however, the relative 

 numbers of the two were reversed. The number of blood- 

 corpuscles in the blood of the young one exceeded that in the 

 blood of the mother. The blood of the new-born animal 

 wis accordingly thicker than that both of the foetus and of 

 t'te mother. Dr. Cohnstein measured the total blood mass 

 in the unborn and new-born young according to a method 

 he communicated in greater detail ; and though the results 

 he obtained were very variable, he never found the same rela- 

 tive differences therein as applied to the quantity of blood- 

 corpuscles. The proportion of haemoglobin of the embryo 

 blood was precisely calculated, and on the whole showed the 

 same variations as the number of blood-cells ; yet the increase of 

 haemoglobin after birth was not so great as that of the number 

 of blood-corpuscles. — In connection with the foregoing state- 

 ments of Iir. Cohnstein, Prof. Zuntz brought forward his experi- 

 ments on the subject of the mechanics of the blood-cir- 

 culation in unborn animals, after describing at full length the 

 apparatus and methods he had employed in this investigation. 

 The results of his observations, carried out mostly on the 

 umbilical vessels, were as follows : — The blood-pressure in the 

 navel artery amounted on an average to about 40 mm. mercury ; 

 in the navel vein it showed considerable variations, limited, how- 

 ever, to between 16 and 30 mm. mercury ; values very considerably 

 surpassing the normal pressure in the vena cava inferior in the 

 case of the full-grown, but which were very simply explained by the 

 fact that the blood in the placenta suffered only very slight 

 resistance. The rate of movement of the blood was considerably 

 less in the foetus than in the mother. Especially interesting were 

 the results of the analyses of the blood gases, performed in 

 accordance with methods indicated in the address. It was first 

 shown that the blood of the unborn, when kept for some time 

 in a closed vessel, had its proportion of oxygen very quickly 

 reduced, that is to say, the consumption of oxygen on the part 

 of the fcetal blood was very copious and considerably greater than 

 after birth or in the case of the full-grown. This fact was shown 

 by the very appearance of the blood, the bright red blood taken 

 from the navel artery turning dark very rapidly. The proportion 

 of carbonic acid in the blood in the navel artery was about 



4^ per cent, higher than in the navel vein, while in the case of 

 the full-grown the difference between arterial and venous blood 

 amounted on an average, as was well known, to 9 per cent. The 

 proportion of oxygen in the fcetal blood was very changing. In 

 the navel artery it averaged about 4 per cent, less than in the 

 navel vein ; but even in this latter case the blood was by no means 

 saturated with oxygen. From the gaseous contents of the blood 

 and its circulation an interesting glance was thus obtained into 

 the respiratory process of the unborn. — Dr. Kossel announced 

 that he had succeeded in demonstrating the presence of pep- 

 tonous bodies in tissue. If the granule-holding blood-cells of 

 birds were treated with water, there remained a loose, flaky- 

 mass which shrunk together on the application of hydro- 

 chloric acid ; the main constituent of the flaky mass was 

 nuclein, ami by the acid another substance was freed, which 

 on analysis proved to be a peptonous substance. The 

 circumstance that this peptonous body, which was soluble in 

 water, was not extracted on the first treatment with water, 

 showed that in the blood-corpuscles it was chemically combined 

 with nuclein. A remarkable property was displayed by this 

 peptonous body when treated with ammonia ; it became pre- 

 cipitated as coagulable albumen. Such a transformation of a 

 peptone into coagulable albumen was hitherto known only as 

 an effect of high temperature. That it could be effected in such 

 a simple manner Dr. Kossel regarded as a confirmation of his 

 view that peptone was distinguished from albumen by a higher 

 proportion of water. — Herr Aronsohn spoke of his experiments 

 with a view to electric irritation of the olfactory nerves. The 

 nose having been filled with a very weak warm solution of 

 common salt, one electrode, a platinum wire inside a glass tube, 

 was brought close to the olfactory nerve, and the other was directed 

 to the hand or the neck. A constant current of the strength of 

 •0001 ampere now excited in each case, according to its direction, 

 either on opening or on closing, a quite decided sensation of 

 smell which could be compared with no known scent, not even 

 with that of phosphor or ozone. Now and again, too, a sense 

 of taste was excited at the same time. The direction of the 

 current had no influence on the quality of the olfactory sensation. 

 The appearance of the irritation on closing or opening the con- 

 stant current corresponded completely with Pfliiger's law of 

 spasms (Zuckiaigogesetz). 



CONTENTS Page 



A Plea for a National Marine Zoological Survey . 25 



The Electrical Congress of Paris, 1884 26 



Dr. Joule's Scientific Papers 27 



Letters to the Editor :— 



Long or Short Fractions for Great Natural and 

 National Standards — Earth's Axis of Rotation. — 



Prof. C. Piazzi-Smyth 29 



The Ancestor of the Dipper (Cine/us). — Dr. Chas. C. 



Abbott 30 



Double-storied Houses and Concave Roofs. — B. D. 



Oldham 30 



The Recent Earthquake. — C. E. De Ranee; Dr. J. 

 E. Taylor; Edward Newton; Rev. Frederick 



W. Ragg 31 



Black Rain.— Rev. S. J. Perry, F.R.S 32 



The Remarkable Sunsets.— L. G. Carpenter ; J. LI. 



Bozward 3 2 



Rotating Thermometers. — Edwin Clark 32 



Science and the Public Service— F. C. S 33 



The Royal Corps of Naval Constructors. By W. H. 



White 33 



The Flora of Patagonia 35 



Across the Pampas and Among the Andes (Illus- 

 trated) 36 



The International Health and Education Exhibi- 



toi 39 



Notes . 39 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



White Spots upon Venus 41 



The Great Comet of 18S2 42 



Brorsen's Comet of Short Period 42 



The Iron and Steel Institute -..-.. 42 



The Building of the Alps. By Prof. T. G. Bonney. 



F.R.S., Pres.G.S 44 



University and Educational Intelligence 46 



Societies and Academies 46 



