OcTOBER 2, 1902] 
NATURE 
571 
the success in treating disease they were expected to be are 
probably too poor in complement, though they may contain 
plenty of the immune body. 
Quite distinct from the bactericidal, globulicidal and anti- 
toxic properties of blood is its agglutinating action. This is 
another result of infection with many kinds of bacteria or their 
toxins. The blood acquires the property of rendering immobile 
and clumping together the specific bacteria used in the infec- 
tion. The test applied to the blood in cases of typhoid fever, 
and generally called Widal’s reaction, depends on this fact. 
The substances that produce this effect are called agglutinins. 
They also are probably proteid-like in nature, but are more 
resistant to heat than the lysins. Prolonged heating to over 
60° C. is necessary to destroy their activity. 
Lastly, we come to a question which more directly appeals to 
the physiologist than the preceding, because experiments in re- 
lation to immunity have furnished us with what has hitherto 
been lacking, a means of distinguishing human blood from the 
blood of other animals. 
The discovery was made by Tchistovitch (1899), and his 
original experiment was as follows :—Rabbits, dogs, goats and 
guinea-pigs were inoculated with eel-serum, which is toxic ; he 
thereby obtained from these animals an antitoxic serum. But 
the serum was not only antitoxic, but produced a precipitate 
when added to eel-serum, but not when added to the serum of 
any other animal. In other words, not only has a specific anti- 
toxin been produced, but also a specific preczpztin. Numerous 
observers have since found that this is a general rule through- 
out the animal kingdom, including man. If, for instance, a 
rabbit is treated with human blood, the serum ultimately 
obtained from the rabbit contains a specific precipitin for human 
blood ; that is to say, a precipitate is formed on adding such a 
rabbit’s serum to human blood, but not when added to the 
blood of any other animal.! The great value of the test is its 
delicacy ; it will detect the specific blood when it is greatly 
diluted, after it has been dried for weeks, or even when it is 
mixed with the blood of other animals. 
I have entered into this subject at some length, because it so 
admirably illustrates the kind of research which is now in pro- 
gress; it is also of interest to others than mere physiologists. 
I have not by any means exhausted the subject, but for fear I 
may exhaust my audience let me hasten to a conclusion. I 
began by eulogising the progress of the branch of science on 
which I have elected to speak to you. Let me conclude with 
a word of warning on the danger of over-specialisation. The 
ultra-specialist is apt to become narrow, to confine himself so 
closely to his own groove that he forgets to notice what is 
occurring in the parallel and intercrossing grooves of others. 
But those who devote themselves to the chemical side of 
physiology run but little danger of this evil. The subject 
cannot be studied apart from other branches of physiology, so 
closely are both branches and roots intertwined. As an illus- 
tration of this, may I be permitted to speak of some of my own 
work? During the past few years the energies of my laboratory 
have been devoted to investigations on the chemical side of 
nervous activity, and I have had the advantage of cooperating 
to this end with a number of investigators, of whom I may par- 
ticularly mention Dr. Mott and Dr. T. G. Brodie. But we 
soon found that any narrow investigation of the chemical pro- 
perties of nervous matter and the changes this undergoes 
during life and after death was impossible. Our work extended 
in a pathological direction so as to investigate the matter in the 
brains of those suffering from nervous disease ; it extended in 
a histological direction so as to determine the chemical meaning 
of various staining reactions presented by normal and abnormal 
structures in the brain and spinal cord ; it extended in an ex- 
. perimental direction in the elucidation of the phenomena of 
fatigue, and to ascertuin whether there was any difference in 
medullated and non-medullated nerve fibres in this respect ; it 
extended into what one may call a pharmacological direction in 
the investigation of the action of the poisonous products of the 
breakdown of nervous tissues. I think I have said enough to 
show you how intimate are the connections of the chemical 
with the other aspects of physiology, and although I have given 
you but one instance, that which is freshest to my mind, the 
same could be said for almost any other well-planned piece of 
research work of a bio-chemical nature. 
1 There may be a slight reaction with the blood of allied animals ; for 
instance, with monkey's blood in the case of man. 
NO. 1718, VOL. 66] 
We have now hefore us the real work of the Section, the 
reading, hearing and seeing the researches which will be 
brought forward by members of the Association, and I must, in 
thanking you for your attention, apologise for the length of 
time I have kept you from these more important matters. 
UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 
INTELLIGENCE. 
Ir is recommended by Mr. Herbert Welsh, of Philadelphia, 
who was largely instrumental in raising the Wilson endowment 
fund, value 100,000 dollars, of the Washington and Lee 
University, that a fund of 500,000 dollars be raised to endow a 
scientific and technical school for the University. 
THE papers read at the conference of science teachers held at 
the Hartley University College, Southampton, to which atten- 
tion was directed in our issue of June 19, 1902, have now been 
published in book form. The title of the little volume is 
““Science Teaching and Nature Study.’ Copies may be 
obtained from Mr. H. M. Gilbert, Above Bar, Southampton, 
price 6@. each. 
Tue following courses of lectures on advanced physiology 
are announced for delivery in the physiological laboratory at the 
buildings of the University of London during the coming term :-— 
(az) *‘On the Sources of Animal Energy,” by Prof. E. H. 
Starling, on Tuesdays, October 14, 21, 28, November 4, 11, 18, 
25, December 2, at 5 p.m.; (6) ‘‘On Animal Heat and 
Respiration,” by Dr. M. S. Pembrey, on Wednesdays, 
October 15, 22, 29, November 5, 12, 19, 26, December 3, at 
5 p-m. The lectures, admission to which is free, are addressed 
to advanced students, and are arranged to meet the requirements 
of candidates for honours in physiology at the University. 
Cards of admission may be obtained on application to the 
peoseaie Registrar, at the University Buildings, South Kensing- 
ton, S.W. 
SCIENTIFIC SERIALS. 
Journal of Botany, September.—Under the title of ‘* Ala- 
bastra diversa,” Mr. Spencer le M. Moore continues his 
account of new plants. <Amphoranthus spinosus, from Damara- 
land, furnishes a new genus of the suborder Cvesalpiniez, 
approximating to the existing genus Cordyla. Five new species 
are added to the Acanthaceze. A note by thesame writer refers 
to the plant which, under the name of Haemacanthus coccineus, 
was described in a previous number of the /owrna/ as a new 
genus; there is some possibility of this proving to be identical 
with the plant named Satanocrater coccineus by Dr. Lindau.—Dr. 
Rendle describes two new varieties of orchids from China, and 
a new species of Burmannia from the same country. The latter 
is figured along with Amphoranthus. —Two papers deal with the 
genus Hieracium ; in the first, Mr. H. J. Riddelsdell gives a list 
of Welsh Hieracia ; in the second, Mr. F. N. Williams, in the 
course of his remarks on the ‘‘ Salient Features in Hieracium,” 
alludes to the difference between the characters emphasised by 
Scandinavian and Continental botanists, and points out the im- 
portance of the hairs, the structure of the receptacle and the 
stem branching as distinguishing morphological features.— 
Messrs. R. E. and F. Cundall contribute a list of Glamorgan- 
shire plants which furnishes a supplement to that published 
recently by Messrs. Marshall and Shoolbred.—The article 
entitled “Botany in England a Century Ago” gives the 
impressions of Dr. H. A. Noehden formed during his visit 
to this country in the year 1799. 
The American Journal of Science, September.—The rela- 
tionships of some American and Old World birches, by M. L. 
Fernald.—On the fertile fronds of Crossotheca and Myriotheca, 
and on the spores of other Carboniferous ferns from Mazon 
Creek, Illinois, by E. H. Sellards.—On the validity of Zdo- 
phyllum rotundifiorum, Lesquereux, a fossil plant from the 
Coal-measures of Mazon Creek, Illinois, by E. H. Sellards. It 
