Fune 2, 1870] 
NATURE 
93 
SCIENTIFIC SERIALS 
Max Schultze's Archiv fiir Mikroskop Anatomie, Band vi. Heft. 
2, 1870, is a paper by M. J. C. Eberth on the termination of the 
Cutaneous Nerves. Eberth’s experiments were undertaken upon 
the skin of man, of rabbits, guinea-pigs, dogs, and cats, but chiefly 
on that of man and of Albino rabbits ; the processes of pigment cells 
in the other animals often closely resembling nerves when stained 
with gold chloride. The strength of the solution that was used 
varied from + to 1 percent., in which portions of skin were 
allowed to soak for from }to 4 hours. In the cutis of man the 
nerves form first a rich web of dark-edged fasciculi, which break 
up into a plexus of fine fibrils and small fasciculi of fibrils. These 
soon lose their medullary sheath, and enter more or less verti- 
cally into the papillze in the form of fine axis cylinders with fusi- 
form nuclei lying upon them. He particularly insists that the 
final finest terminations which can be followed to the attached 
surface of the epithelium are free and do not forma plexus. He 
corroborates the statements of Langerhans respecting the pre- 
sence of peculiar cells in the deeper parts of the epidermis of 
stellate and fusiform shape ; often with a distinct nucleus. They 
blacken with chloride of gold; but neither Eberth nor Langer- 
hans have been able to trace their connection with nerves. 
These cells usually send off from five to eight simple or branched 
processes towards the surface, but only one or two towards the 
cutis, 
IN the Annales des Sciences Naturelles, Zoologiz, Paris, 1870, 
p- I, is a contribution by M. Léon Vaillant to the anatomical in- 
vestigation of the genus Pontobdella, the principal points 
of which we extract. M. Vaillant states that he has had 
peculiar opportunities of observing this genus of the Hirudinide, 
and the particular species he has investigated is that of 
the P. verrucata, so called on account of the proper zoonites 
or segments of the animal supporting four tubercles, though 
the cutaneous segments or zoonites only bear two. The 
total number of cutaneous zoonites is 67, The anterior 
orifice of the digestive system is placed at the centre of the 
anterior sucker. The posterior orifice opens dorsally just 
in front of the posterior sucker. The skin presents a dermis 
and an epidermis, the latter being composed of a delicate cuticle 
and ofa layer of epithelial cells, corresponding to the pigmentary 
layer of Moquin Tandon. The dermis is composed of cells con- 
cealed by a network of what appear to be anastomosing tubes, 
Beneath the skin, and almost forming part of it, is a dense layer 
of smooth muscular tissue, the external fibres of which are circu- 
lar, the deeper longitudinal. By the agency of these the loco- 
motion of the animal is chiefly effected. Between the muscular 
layer and the digestive tube an immense number of yellow 
granules are found, which appear to be of the same nature as the 
unicellular glands described by Leydig, possessing fine ducts, 
that can in some instances be followed to the skin, and therefore 
almost precluding the idea of their being hepatic organs. The 
nervous system presents 22 ganglia, excluding the cesophageal 
collar ; the last one is the largest, and is found in the anal sucker. 
No eyes have been discovered in them, and their relations to the 
outer world appear to be restricted to those derived from the 
sense of touch. The digestive organs present no remarkable 
deviations from that of the leeches in general. Its divisions 
are a proboscis, with its sheath ; a crop ; the gastro-ilial portion, 
and the rectum, The jaws are reduced to three minute pro- 
jecting points. The crop extends quite to the posterior 
part of the body, and presents a_ series of constrictions. 
The gastro-ilial portion is a single tube lying above the cz/ de 
sac, formed posteriorly by the ingluvies, and appears to corre- 
spond to the true stomach of other animals. The circulation is 
effected through a closed system of vessels, and the contents 
of these vessels are colourless, and destitute of corpuscles, M. 
Vaillant considers that the blood is represented properly by the 
fluid contained in the general cavity of the body, which contains 
definite morphological elements. There are four principal ves- 
sels, a dorsal, ventral, and two lateral, and these lie in the mus- 
cularlayers. The dorsal and ventral vessels communicate freely 
by large branches ; the lateral vessels receive their blood from a 
delicate plexus of vessels distributed on the intestine, which, 
however, communicates with the dorso-ventral system; and itis 
probable that an oscillation of the fluid is constantly occurring 
from one set of vessels into the other. On the whole, the vas- 
cular system is much less complicated here than in the leech. 
The respiratory function is effected essentially if not exclusively 
by the skin, and there is no special organ for its performance. 
In regard to the secretions, reference has already been made to 
the unicellular glands of the skin ; and the only others are some 
peri-cesophageal glands, which are generally considered to 
be salivary, and the muciparous follicles, which are ovoid vessels, 
six in number, on each side, placed in the testicular region, 
and opening externally with a ciliated orifice. The sexes are 
united in the same individual. The eggs are deposited either 
separately or several together enveloped in a common capsule. 
In the third part of M. Brown Séquard’s ‘‘ Archives de Phy- 
siologie” are the results of an investigation of the mode in which 
nerves terminate in smooth muscular tissue, by M. Hénocque. 
He has examined the smooth muscles of numerous vertebrate 
animals and of man, with a great variety of reagents, as serum, 
pyroligneous acid, chromic acid, and chloride of gold and po- 
tassium, which in a strength of one part in 200 he particularly 
recommends. He finds that the appearances presented are the 
same in all animals, and in all organs ; and states that in following 
out the nerves towards their peripheral terminations, they may 
be found to form three plexuses or networks—namely, a funda- 
mental plexus, with which numerous ganglia are associated, and 
-which is situated oéside the smooth muscle; an intermediate 
plexus ; and lastly an intra-muscular plexus situated in the interior 
of the fasciculi of smooth fibres. The terminal fibres are every- 
where identical, they divide dichotomously or anastomose, and 
end in a slight button or swelling, or in a punctiform manner. 
These little buttons are seated in various parts of the smooth 
muscular fibre, more frequently round the muscles or at the sur- 
face of the muscular fibres, or, finally, between them. 
THE American Naturalist for May commences with an 
interesting article on the Indians of California, their man- 
ners and customs, by Edward E. Chever ; followed by one on 
the ‘‘Time of the Mammoths,” by Professor N. S. Shaler, in 
which he gives a full account of the geological distribution on 
the American continent of the different species of the genus 
Llephas. \W. G. Binney contributes a paper on the ‘‘ Mollusks 
of our Cellars.” 
In the Revue des Cours Scientifigues for May 21 we have M. 
Faye’s important paper on the form of Comets, which occupied 
one of the Soirées Scientifigues de la Sorbonne, and a continuation 
of M. Bernard’s series on Suffocation by the Fumes of Char- 
coal, In the number for May 28 is an epitome of M. Belgrand’s 
résumé, presented to the Academy of Sciences, of the prehistoric 
history of the Paris basin, to which we refer in another column ; 
the Rectorial Address, by M. H. Kopp, to the University of 
Heidelberg, on the State of Science during the Middle Ages ; and 
a paper by M. Bert on Physiology and Zoology. 
SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 
LONDON 
Royal Society, May 19.—A paper was read, entitled ‘On 
the Effects of Alcohol (Z¢hy/ Alcohol) on the Human Body,” 
by Dr. Parkes and Count Cyprian Wollowicz. The experi- 
ments given in detail by the authors were undertaken with 
aview of testing the physiological and especially the dietetic 
effects of alcohol, and to clear up some points left doubtful by 
previous observers. They were fortunate in obtaining as the 
subject of experiment a healthy and very intelligent soldier at 
twenty-eight, 5 feet 6 inches in height, weighing from 134lb. to 
136lb., with a clean, smooth skin, a clear bright eye, good 
teeth, largely developed, powerful muscles, and but little fat. 
As he had been accustomed to smoke, he was allowed half an 
ounce of tobacco daily, lest the deprivation of it might disturb 
his health. The amount of alcohol administered varied, but it 
was neyer carried so far as to produce any extreme symptoms 
of narcotism. 
The plan of observation was as follows :—For twenty-six days 
the man remained on a diet precisely similar as to food and times 
of meals in every respect, except that for the first eight days he 
took only water (in the shape of coffee, tea, and simple water) ; 
for the next six days he added to this diet rectified spirit, in 
such proportion that he took, in divided quantities, on the first 
day one fluid ounce (= 28 c. c.) of absolute alcohol; on the 
second day two fluid ounces ; on the third day four ounces, and 
on the fifth and sixth days eight ounces on each day. He then 
returned to water for six days, and then for three days took on 
each day half a bottle (= 12 ounces, or 341 c. c.) of fine brandy, 
