144 



NA TURE 



\_Dec. lo, 1885 



on the integument. Prof. Zuntz had quite recently, in conjunc- 

 tion with Dr. Cohnstein, made observations on a new-born 

 lamb that, connected by the umbilical cord with the ewe, came 

 into the world completely apnceic, and, notwithstanding that the 

 most varied stimulations were exercised on the skin, con- 

 tinued apnoeic for ten minutes long, though in all other respects 

 these stimulations were normally responded to. Not till the 

 placenta had detached itself did the respiration begin. This 

 observation proved with all certainty that apncea was dependent 

 on the sufficient supply of o.xygen, and that the first respiration 

 was induced by a deficit of oxygen. They therefore repealed 

 the experiments of Prof. Preyer, and came to the conclusion that 

 under them the circulation of the blood always suffered disturb- 

 ance in consequence of the pressure exerted, whereby the supply 

 of oxygen to the foetus was impaired, and that the fact which 

 Prof. Preyer adduced in support of the accuracy of his view, 

 namely, that the blood of the umbilical vein always appeared of 

 a bright scarlet red, served exactly to disprove it. The brighter 

 blood of the umbilical vein was, accordingly, an argument of a dis- 

 turbance in the circulation of the blood, in consequence of which 

 less arterial blood reached the fcetus, and, notwithstanding its 

 greater saturation of oxygen, the blood was, therefore, unable, 

 on account of its deficient quantity, to convey the requisite 

 amount of oxygen to the whole blood. The re>piratory centre 

 in the brain thus got supplied with blood poorer in oxygen, 

 and when a stimulation of the skin was superadded the first 

 respiration ensued. In the case of the less excitable brain of the 

 fcttus it was necessary that the outward stimulation [should sup- 

 plement the deficiency of oxygen. In the case of the nor- 

 mally born, however, the detachment from the placenta and the 

 absolute want of fresh oxygen sufficed to stimulate the respira- 

 tory centre to activity. In the case of the adult, finally, with 

 excitable brain, a slight reduction of oxygen was itself sufficient to 

 excite respiration.— Referring to the beautiful discovery by Mr. 

 Haycroft, of the fact that the ferment of the saliva in the leech pre- 

 vented coagulation. Prof. Zuntz recommended the use of this fer- 

 ment of the leech in measurements of blood-pressure, with a view 

 to avoiding coagulation. This substance had the advantage over 

 all other preventives of coagulation, that in no respect had it 

 any toxic effect. Into the tube conjoining the artery of the 

 animal examined with the manometer of the kymographion a 

 T-tube was intercalated, and by its means a cubic centimetre of 

 the ferment of the leech was squirted per hour into the sejiarate 

 fluid. This was sufficient for the marking of curves of blood- 

 pressure for seven hours consecutively, without the least trace of 

 coagulation. — In view of the divergence of opinions prevailing 

 regarding the alimentary value of the peptones — some maintain- 

 ing that peptone was used as an alimentary deposit in the body, 

 while others considered that only the albumen absorbed as such 

 was capable of being deposited, the peptones getting, on the 

 contrary, further decomposed— Prof Zuntz had a number of 

 feeding experiments instituted with peptones. A somewhat long 

 series of experiments was executed on a little dog, first with 

 meat, then with peptone furnished from fibrine, next with albu- 

 mose substances or propeptones, and, further, with lime. The 

 experiment was arranged in such wise that the dog, along with 

 equal quantities of fat and starch, received daily the like 

 amount of nitrogen. The quantity of secreted nitrogen was 

 daily determined, and thereby the deposit of nitrogen ascer- 

 tained. The dog first got meat for some days, then peptones 

 for some days, next thereafter meat again, and, following 

 thereon, albuminose substances ; this in turn was succeeded 

 by meat days again, then lime days, and, finally, meat days 

 anew. The deposit of nitrogen was now found to amount 

 to — (i) with meat diet, 0'502 grammes nitrogen daily ; (2) with 

 peptone, o-584grammes ; (3) with meat, o-5i3grammes ; (4) with 

 projieptone, 070 grammes ; (5) with meat, 0-46 grammes; (6) 

 with lime, - o'5 grammes ; (7) with meat, o'48 granmies 

 nitrogen. Meat feeding, accordingly, yielded about the same 

 quantity of nitrogen deposit on each occasion of its being used ; 

 in the case of feeding with peptone and propeptone the nitrogen 

 deposit was somewhat greater than in the case of meat-feeding, 

 a result explained by the fact that all the nitrogen of meat did 

 not belong to the albumen, but iu part appertained to the nitro- 

 genous bases, which could yield no nitrogen deposit. In the 

 case of lime-feeding, on the other hand, a loss of nitrogen for 

 the body was the result. Prof. Zuntz next had a further series 

 of feeding-experiments performed with the peptones occurring 

 in trade. The dog in question received only fat in addition to 

 the nitrogenous nutriment. In the first days, with meat-feeding. 



a deposit of nitrogen, to the amount of o'2 grammes daily, was 

 the result ; under feeding with Kammerich's peptone following 

 thereon, the daily deposit of nitrogen was - o'4 grammes ; the 

 meat days, next succeeding, again yielded o'2 grammes nitrogen 

 in deposit, while the feeding, thereafter ensuing, with Koch's 

 peptone again showed - o'4 grammes nitrogen in deposit. The 

 series was closed by meat-feeding, which produced 0'3 grammes 

 deposit of nitrogen. The marketable peptones were therefore, 

 notwithstanding the like supply of nitrogen, incapable of 

 producing a deposit of albumen ; on the contrary there rather 

 occurred a loss of corporeal albumen, not so great, however, as 

 when the like quantity of nitrogen was partaken in the form of 

 lime. A series of experiments was finally carried out with the 

 marketable peptones on a dog which for a considerable length 

 of time had been fed only with rice and fat, and had thereby 

 been very much re^luced in strength. In this case the first day 

 of feeding with Kammerich's peptone produced a deposit of 

 nitrogen to the amount of o'6 grammes ; in the following days 

 this deposit was less ; and soon the nitrogen showed itself at 

 equilibrium. Under feeding with Koch's peptone, too, the 

 animal, which was very much reduced, was maintained at equi- 

 librium in respect of nitrogen. — Dr. Weyl communicated the 

 results of his further investigation into the constitution of the 

 derivatives obtained from cholestearine, which, at a meeting 

 of the Society before the vacation, he had declared to be ter- 

 penes. He endeavoured to determine the molecular weight of 

 those carbo-hydrates which, according to the nature of terpenes, 

 had the composition (CjHg)". The vapour density, determined 

 according to the method of Victor Meyer, showed itself in the 

 lead bath not normal. It corresponded with the composition 

 C.,Hg, thus indicating decidedly that a dissociation had set in 

 during the process of heating. Other terpenes also, such as 

 turpentine oil and camphor, yielded results which were not 

 normal and showed a dissociation into the radical CjHg, a 

 circumstance which likewise argued the terpene nature of 

 cholestearine. Dr. Weyl was able, finally, to demonstrate the 

 connection of cholestearine with the terpenes by showing that 

 the latter very beautifully produced the well-known cholestearine 

 reaction. Further experiments with a view to determining the 

 vapour density in a vacuum would perhaps yield the molecular 

 weight of these interesting carbohydrates. 



CONTENTS Page 



The " Encyclopsedia Britannica' 121 



Ball's " Story of the Heavens ' 124 



Our Book Shelf:— 



" Annual Report of the Board of Regents of the 



Smithsonian Institution for the Year 1883" ... 126 

 Webb's "The Sun: a Famihar Description of His 



Phenomena" '20 



Randolph's " Notes on the Physiological Laboratory 



of the University of Pennsylvania" 126 



Letters to the Editor : — 



Lieutenant Greely on Ice.— Dr. John Rae .... 126 

 The Recent Star-Shower.— W. F. Denning ; J. B. 



Haslam ; Wm. F. Petrie ; J. F. Main ... 127 

 "Evolution without Natural Selection." — Charles 



Dixon; George J. Romanes, F. R.S 128 



Scandinavian Ice- Floes.— Rev. A. Irving .... 129 

 The Resting Position of the Oyster.— J. T. Cun- 

 ningham '29 



The Sea-Mills at Aigostoli.— Surgeon J. Lloyd 



Thomas, R.N 129 



Earthquake.— R. S. Newall, F.R.S 129 



Ventilation '29 



Cycles ■ ■ '32 



Notes '35 



Astronomical Phenomena for the Week, 1885, 



December 13-19 '38 



Explosions in Coal Mines, IL By Sir Frederick 



Abel, K.C.B., F.R.S '38 



Societies and Academies '42 



