May 11, 1899] 
its toxic action is much more powerful, and its effects differ from 
those of choline. 
The fall of blood pressure is in some measure due to its action 
on the heart, but is also produced by dilatation of the peripheral 
vessels, especially in the intestinal area. The drug causes a 
marked contraction of the spleen, followed by an exaggeration 
of the normal curves, due to the alternate systole and diastole 
of that organ. 
The action on the splanchnic vessels is due to the direct 
action of the base on the neuro-muscular mechanism of the 
blood vessels themselves. 
The fall of blood pressure is abolished by atropine. This 
observation has some bearing on general paralysis, for the arterial 
tension in that disease is usually high, not low, as it would be if 
choline were the only toxic agent at work. 
Neurine produces a fall of arterial pressure, followed by a 
marked rise, and a subsequent fall to the normal level. Some- 
times, especially with small doses, the preliminary fall may be 
absent. Sometimes, especially with large doses, by which 
presumably the heart is more profoundly affected, the rise is 
absent. 
The slowing and weakening of the heart account for the 
preliminary fall of blood pressure. 
The rise of blood pressure which occurs afterwards is due to 
the constriction of the peripheral vessels, evidence of which we 
have obtained by the use of oncometers for intestine, spleen, 
and kidney. 
After the influence of the central nervous system has been 
removed by section of the spinal cord, or of the splanchnic 
nerves, neurine still produces its typical effects. 
After, however, the action of peripheral ganglia has been cut 
off by the use of nicotine, neurine produces only a :fall of blood 
pressure. It therefore appears that the constriction of the 
vessels is due to the action of the drug on the ganglia. 
It produces a marked effect on the respiration. This is first 
greatly increased, but with each successive dose the effect is less, 
and ultimately the respiration becomes weaker, and ceases 
altogether. The animal can still be kept alive by artificial 
respiration. 
The exacerbation of respiratory movements will not account 
for the rise of arterial pressure ; the two events are usually not 
synchronous, and an intense rise of arterial pressure may occur 
when there is little or no increase of respiratory activity or 
during artificial respiration. 
After atropine, injection of neurine causes only a rise of 
blood pressure, which is accompanied with constriction of 
peripheral vessels. 
Chemical Society, April 20.—Prof. Thorpe, President, in 
the chair.—The following papers were read :—The synthesis of 
some §§’-dipyridyl derivatives from citrazinic acid, by W. J. 
Sell and H. Jackson. Citrazinic acid yields a nitroso-derivative 
CH, CO 
COOH.C< ak 
C(NO).C(OH) 
from which a number of dipyridyl derivatives have been ob- 
tained.—Action of hydrogen peroxide on carbohydrates in the 
presence of iron, by R. S. Morrell and J. M. Crofts. Both 
glucose and lzevulose are oxidised by hydrogen peroxide in 
presence of iron salts with formation of glucoson; under 
similar conditions, arabinose yields arabinoson.—The condens- 
ation of oxalic acid and resorcinol, by J. T. Hewitt and A. E. 
Pitt. The condensation product of oxalic acid with resorcinol 
in presence of sulphuric acid contains a compound of the com- 
position C,)H,,O,, which is probably a carboxylic acid.—Ethyl 
ammonium sulphite, by E. Divers and M. Ogawa. Ethyl 
ammonium sulphite is formed by the interaction of ammonia 
and sulphur dioxide dissolved in alcohol; it is immediately 
converted into alcohol and ammonium pyrosulphite by water. — 
Ethyl ammonium selenite and non-existence of amidoselenites 
(selenosamates), by E. Divers and S. Hada.—The allotropic 
modifications of phosphorus, by D. L. Chapman. Metallic and 
red phosphorus are identical, and the vapours of red and yellow 
phosphorus are also identical ; red phosphorus melts, forming 
ordinary phosphorus, under pressure at the melting point of 
potassium iodide.—On the interaction of mercurous and mercuric 
nitrites with the nitrites of silver and sodium, by P. C. Ray.— 
B-Isopropylglutaric acid, by F. H. Howles and J. F. Thorpe. 
A new method of preparing §-isopropylglutaric acid from 
ethylic a-bromisobutylacetate is given.—The synthesis and 
NO. 1541, VOL. 60] 
NATURE 
47 
preparation of terebic and terpenylic acids, by W. T. Lawrence. 
8-Isopropylglutaric acid is oxidised by chromic acid mixture 
with formation of terpenylic acid ; the constitution of the latter 
is therefore 
€Me;. oO 
| 
COOH.CH,.CH.CH,.CO. 
—Position-isomerism and optical activity; the comparative 
rotatory powers of methylic and ethylic ditoluylglycerates, by 
P. Frankland and H. Aston.—Fencholenic acid, by G. B. Cock- 
burn. Fenchonoxime, when heated with dilute sulphuric acid, 
yields a mixture of two nitrites, which in turn give isomeric 
acids on hydrolysis.—The action of certain acidic oxides upon 
salts of hydroxy-acids, Part iv., by G. G. Henderson, T. W. 
Orr, and R. J. G. Whitehead. 
Royal Microscopical Society, April 19.—Mr. E. M. 
Nelson, President, in the chair.—The President called special 
attention to two old microscopes ; the first, which had been pre- 
sented to the Society by Mr. J. M. Offord, was signed ‘‘ Adams,” 
and was a very interesting model which filled up a gap in the 
historic collection of the Society. Its probable date was about 
1785-95. The second microscope, which had been presented 
by Dr. Dallinger, was one full of interest, and evidently con- 
structed about the end of the last century; it was the earliest 
example in the Society’s collection of a microscope with rack- 
work limb,—Dr. Hebb exhibited, on behalf of Miss Latham, 
two slides of blood which had been stained with methylen blue ; 
one was of normal blood which had retained the blue stain, the 
other was of blood from a diabetic person ; but in this the blue 
had been discharged, probably by the action of the glucose 
which is present in the blood in this disease. —Owing to illness 
Prof. Lionel Beale was unable to be present to read his paper. 
—Dr. Hebb read a letter from Mr. Bryce Scott, who said if any 
Fellows cared for West India dredgings rich in Foraminifera, 
he would be pleased to forward them some.—The President 
then, on behalf of the Society, presented to Mr. T. H. Powell 
an enlarged framed copy of the portrait of his father, the late 
Mr. Hugh Powell, which is issued as a frontispiece in the 
current number of the Journa/.—The President then made a 
few remarks upon the theory and construction of eye-pieces for 
the microscope.—At the next meeting it is hoped Dr. H. C. 
Sorby will read a paper on the preparation of microscopical 
specimens of marine worms, and that there will be an exhibition 
of pond-life. 
Paris. 
Academy of Sciences, May 1.— M. van Tieghem in the 
chair.—On continued groups, by M. H. Poincaré.—Iodine in 
sea water, by M. Armand Gautier. Iodine does not appear to 
exist in sea water in the form of iodides, since five litres gave a 
negative result. It would appear to be present in minute 
organisms, and amounts up to 2'4 mgr. per litre were found 
from this source. One-fourth of the total amount of iodine 
present can be separated by filtering through porcelain.—On 
traumatism and tuberculosis, by MM. Lannelongue and Achard. 
—Separation into two natural groups of the volcanic outflow 
of Mt. Dore; the distinctive chemical characters of their 
magmas, and of that supplying the eruptions of the ‘* puys” of 
Auvergne, by M. Michel Levy.—On a generalisation of Fermat's 
theorem, by M. L. E. Dickson.—On a transcendental equation 
and linear differential equations of the second order with 
periodic coefficients, by M. A. Liapounoff.—Note on the develop- 
ment of an arbitrary function and on a series proceeding according 
to harmonic functions, by M S. Zaremba.—Radioconductors 
with metallic spheres, by M. Edouard Branly. Columns of 
from six to fifteen balls of various metals were placed in series 
with a battery and electric bell. On exposing this column to 
the electric waves arising from a small induction coil, brusque 
variations of resistance are set up, causing the bell to ring. 
Thus with steel the resistance under these conditions fell from 
2060 ohms to 120 ohms, with aluminium from 20,660 to 
280 ohms, the resistance being in both cases restored by giving 
a slight shock to the column.—The production of chains of 
electrolytic deposits, and the probable formation of invisible 
conducting chains in distilled water under the action of induced 
currents and electric waves, and on a curious oscillation 
phenomenon produced in distilled water by induced currents 
of low frequency, by M. Thomas Tommasina.—On the 
magnetic rotatory polarisation of quartz, by M. Amold- 
Borel.—Chemical analysis of some volcanic rocks arising 
