Dec. 



1885] 



NATURE 



215 



of breaking up a rectangle to form a square, and gave the first 

 part of a paper on the theory of contours, and its application to 

 physical science. 



Sydney 



Royal Society of New South Wales, September 2. — Prof. 

 Liversidge, F.R.S., President, in the chair. — Mr. J. P. Joseph- 

 son, A.M.I.C.E., read a paper on the history of the floods in 

 the Hawkesbury. A number of chromogenic and pathogenic 

 micro-organisms were exhibited and described by W. Camac 

 Wilkinson, M.D. Lond. — An advanced copy of a work contain- 

 ing a series of photographs and descriptions of a case of variola 

 occurring at the Quarantine Station was shown by Dr. J. Ash- 

 burton Thompson. — A number of microscopical slides, mounted 

 without pressure, were shown by Mr. H. Sharp, of Adelong. 



Paris 

 Academy of Sciences, December 21. ^M. Jurien de la 

 Graviere, Vice-President, in the chair. — Allocution on the 

 progress of science during the past year, by the Vice-President. 

 — Prizes awarded during the year 1S85 : — Geometry: Bordin 

 prize to M. P. Appell (2000 fr. ) and M. Otto Ohnesorge 

 (1000 fr.) ; Francoeur prize, M. Emile Barbier. Mechanics : 

 Extraordinary prize of 6000 fr. to M. Helie (2000 fr.) and MM. 

 Hugoniot, Doneaud du Plan, Hatt, and Lucy (1000 fr. each) ; 

 Poncelet prize to M. Henri Poincare ; Montyon to M. Amsler- 

 Laffon ; Plumey to MM. Bienayme and Daymard ; Dalmont to 

 M. Lucas ; Fourneyron to M. CoUadon. Astronomy ; Lalande 

 prize to M. ThoUon ; Valz to M. Sporer ; Bordin to M. 

 Edlund ; Lacaze to M. Gernez. Statistics : Two prizes to MM. 

 de Pietra Santa and Keller. Chemistry : Jecker prize to MM. 

 Prunier and Silva (4000 fr. each) and M. G. Rousseau (2000 fr. ). 

 Geology : Delesse prize to M. Lapparent. Botany : Barbier 

 prize to MM. Dubois, Heckel, and Schlagdenhauffen ; Des- 

 mazieres to M, Leclerc du Sablon ; Montagne to M. Patouillard. 

 Anatomy and Zoology : Grand prize of the Physical Sciences to 

 M. Joannes Chatin ; Da Gama Machado to M. Girod. Medi- 

 cine and Surgery : Montyon to MM. Charpentier, Farabeuf, 

 Regnauld, and Villejean (2500 fr. each), Breant to M. Mahe ; 

 Godard to M. Desnos ; Lallemand to M. Grasset. Physiology : 

 Lacaze prize to M. Duclaux ; Montyon to M. Remy. Physical 

 Geography : Gay prize to Capt. Defforges. General prizes : 

 Montyon (industries injurious to the health) to MM. Girard and 

 Chamberland (2500 fr. each) ; Cuvier to M. Van Beneden ; 

 Tremont to MM. Bourbouze and Sidot (1000 fr. each) ; Gegner 

 to M. Valson ; Petit d'Ormoy (Mathematical Sciences) to M 

 Halphen ; Petit d'Ormoy (Natural Sciences) to M. Sappey : 

 Laplace to M. E. G. A. Coste. — Prizes proposed for the year 

 18S6 : — Geometiy : A study of the surfaces admitting all the 

 symmetrical planes of one of the regular polyhedrons (3000 fr.) ; 

 Francreiir prize, The work most conducive to the progress of 

 the pure and applied mathematical sciences (looofr.). Me- 

 chanics : Extraordinary prize of 6000 fr. for any work tending 

 most to increase tlie efficiency of the French naval forces ; 

 Montyon (700 fr.), Invention or improvement of instruments 

 useful to the progress of agriculture, of the mechanical arts or 

 sciences; Plumey (2500 fr. ), Improvement of steam-engines, 

 or any other invention contributing most to the progress of 

 steam navigation ; Dalmont (3000 fr.), The best work by any 

 of the Ingenieurs des Ponts et Chaussees in connection with any 

 section of the Academy. Astronomy : Laland prize (gold medal 

 worth 540 fr.), for the most interesting observation on work 

 most conducive to the progress of astronomy ; Damoiseau 

 (10,000 fr.). Best work on th; theory of Jupiter's satellites, 

 discussing the observations and deducing the constants contained 

 in it, especially that which furnishes a direct deterinination of 

 the velocity of light ; Valz (460 fr.), for the most interesting 

 astronomical observation made during the course of the year. 

 Physics : Grand prize of the Mathematical Sciences (3000 fr. ), for 

 any important improvement in the theory of the application of 

 electricity to the transmission of force. Statistics : A prize of 

 500 fr. for the best work on the statistics of France. Chemis- 

 try : Jecker prize (5000 fr. ), for the work most conducive to the 

 progress of organic chemistry. Geology : Vaillant prize, on 

 the influence exercised on earthquakes by the geological consti- 

 tution of a country by the action of water or of any other physi- 

 cal causes. Botany : Barbier prize (2000 fr.), for any valuable 

 discovery in the medical and botanical sciences bearing on the 

 healing art; Desmazi^res (1600 fr.), for the best or most use- 

 ful work, by a Frenchman or a foreigner, on the cryptogamic 

 plants. Anatomy and Zoology : Savigny prize (975 fr.), for 



the best work on the invertebrate animals of Syria and 

 Egypt. Medicine and Surgery: Breant prize (100,000 fr.), for 

 an efficacious remedy against cholera, — discovery of the true 

 causes of Asiatic cholera, with a view to its suppression, or for 

 the discovery of any certain prophylactic against cholera. Physio- 

 logy : Montyon prize (750 fr. ), for the best work on experimental 

 physiology. Physical Geography : Gay prize (2500 fr.), re- 

 searches on the differences of sea-level in the vicinity of the 

 continents due to local attraction or relief of the land, with 

 examples illustrating the reality of this phenomenon. General 

 prizes : Montyon prize, for any discovery useful to the healing 

 art or tending to render unhealthy industries less injurious ; De- 

 lalande-Guerineau prize (1000 fr.), for any French traveller or 

 any naturalist who shall have rendered the greatest service to 

 France or to science; Jerome Ponti prize (3500 fr. ), fo' any 

 work judged most useful for the advancement of science. Com- 

 petitors for these j^rizes are reminded that all papers must be 

 sent in before June I, 1S86, and that no documents will be 

 returned by the Academy. Copies, however, may be procured 

 through the Secretary. 



Berlin 

 Physiological Society, Nov. 13. — Prof. Munk reported 

 on experiments carried out by Dr. Ziehen in his laboratory, with 

 a view to deciding the question whether epileptic convulsions, 

 artificially induced by electric stimulation of the brain, proceeded 

 from the cerebral cortex or from centres of deeper situation. 

 By weak electric stimulation of a motory region of the cortex 

 continued for a longer time, or by a stronger stimulation 

 for a shorter time, it was found, after removing the electrode, 

 that convulsions originated in the muscles corresponding with 

 the stimulated region, thence propagating themselves gradually 

 over the whole body. After the stimulation of one region of 

 the cortex, a cause of convulsion was accordingly left in 

 it, gradually overtaking the other centres of the groups of 

 muscles. The question was, whether this propagation of the 

 cause of convulsion took place in the cortex, where, map-like, 

 were situated, adjacent to each other, the regions for the muscles 

 of the eyes, ears, face, anterior and posterior extremities — or 

 whether the propagation got transferred directly to the deeper 

 centres of the muscle sections, gradually taking possession of 

 them. This problem Prof Luciani endeavoured to solve by 

 exciding a centre of muscle groups out of the cortex, such as 

 that of the anterior extremity, and then causing the convulsive 

 fit artificially. The result he found was that all the muscles 

 gradually fell into a state of convulsion, with the exception of 

 those of the anterior extremity. This experiment, apparently 

 settling the question, had been confirmed by some physiologists, 

 but not by others, so that it became necessary to institute ex- 

 periments afresh. Dr. Ziehen had now made the observation 

 that under sufficiently long application of weak stimulations the 

 convulsion ensuing and gradually spreading over the whole body 

 was a clonical one, and that under moderately strong stimulation 

 tetanic allied themselves to the clonical spasms, while under verj- 

 strong stimulations the tetanic contractions preponderated. 

 When, in accordance with Prof Luciani's procedure, he had 

 excided a region of the cortex and then applied stimulation 

 by weak currents, the clonical spasms showed themselves in all 

 groups of muscles, with the exception of those corresponding 

 with the excided portion of the cortex. When, on the 

 other hand, he applied stimulation by strong currents, he ob- 

 served the tetanic convulsions assert themselves at those pirts 

 likewise of the body, the cortex region of which had been 

 excided, even if weaker at this latter part than in the other 

 muscles. From this result the speaker inferred that the spas- 

 modic stimulation, in the case of clonical contractions, propa- 

 gated itself in the cortex, and that in the case of tetanic 

 contractions the spasmodic stimulation propagated itself in the 

 deeper parts of the brain. In support of this inference Prof. 

 Munk adduced the succession of the groups of muscles over- 

 taken by spasm. The position of the motory centres in the 

 cortex was precisely known, whereas the local distribution 

 of the deeper centres was unknown. Now, the clonical spasms 

 proceeding from the spot of excitation followed each other pre- 

 cisely in that succession in which the centres of the cortex 

 arranged themselves conterminously, while the succession of 

 tetanic spasms formed a different and irregular series. Further 

 evidence in support of the conclusions just stated was afforded 

 by the following experiment. A region of the cortex having 

 been stimulated by weak currents sufficiently long to induce 

 clonical spasms in the muscles corresponding therewith, and in 



