2l6 



NATURE 



\june 29, 1882 



the values he deduces from his formula, are under those ob- 

 tained experimentally by Dr. Hagen for the same temperatures. 



Berlin 



Physiological Society, June 2. — President, Prof, du Bois- 

 Reyniond. — Prof. Kronecker reported upon the experiments 

 which Dr. Melzer made to determine the action of the vagus 

 and superior laryngeal nerves upon respiration. The idea that 

 the action of the vagus in respiration has already been definitely 

 determined, proved to be unwarranted by the facts of the case. 

 It is known that stimulation of the nerve can both suspend in- 

 spiration and expiration; but the conditions of the opposed 

 effects are still to lie investigated. Now the experiments of Dr. 

 Melzer have shown that these conditions are very manifold and 

 complicated. In a succession of cases, it is the strength of the 

 electric current that determines a particular effect ; slight sUllu- 

 lation of the vagus, producing a cessation of respiration in 

 inspiration, great stimulation producing the cessation in the 

 position of expiration, whereas stimulation of medium intensi- 

 ties produced cessation in an intermediate position. Further, 

 the condition in which the respiratory apparatus was at the 

 moment of stimulation of the vagus, determined the results of 

 the stimulation ; the effect of an equal degree of stimulation 

 during inspiration being exactly the reverse of what it would 

 have been if applied during expiration. Simultaneous stimula- 

 tion of the vagus and the superior laryngeal had likewise very 

 diverse effects. If one nerve was more strongly stimulated than 

 the other, the effects of the more strongly stimulated nerve over- 

 came those of the other. If the stimulation in both was equally 

 strong, the results were cessation, either in the position of deep 

 expiration (this taking place when the vagus assisted the action 

 of the superior laryngeal), or in an intermediate position when 

 the two nerves acted antagonistically. Dr. Melzer has also had 

 opportunities of observing individual differences in the action of 

 the vagus, and supposes that the sex of the animal experimented 

 upon may have some influence. Since Hunter's time there have 

 been very few attempts to count the pillars in the electiic organs 

 of the Torpedoes, and his view as to their number was universally 

 received as accurate. By the numerous careful countings of Prof. 

 Fritsch, on the contrary, it was discovered that the number of the 

 pillars only differed slightly in large and small specimens of the 

 same species, being often even greater in small specimens than in 

 large ones ; embryos of Torpedoes were examined by him, and 

 these already exhibited the same number of pillars as are to be 

 met with in adult specimens of the same species. On the whole 

 the number of pillars in several' species of Torpedoes winch 

 are to be regarded as " good species," is pretty nearly the same. 

 It varies between 400 and 600; very large differences in the 

 number of the pillars are to be regarded as " species-characters," 

 and are to be taken into consideration in diagnosis. And from 

 this point of view Hunter's results admitted of an explanation. 

 For Herr Fritsch had an opportunity of seeing two preserved 

 specimens of the American Torpedo occidentals in Vienna. 

 These were, in spite of their shrinking in the spirit, one metre 

 long, and they turned out, when a calculation was made of the 

 number in their electrical organ, to have more than 1000 pillars ; 

 it is hence probable that Hunter's giant electric rays were : speci- 

 mens of Torpedo occidentalis that were washed upon the English 

 coasts by the Gulf-stream, and that Hunter's enumerations do 

 not in the least contradict the doctrine of preformation. 

 Paris 



Academy of Sciences, Tune 19. — M. Jamin in the chair. — 

 The following papers were" read :— On the reaction-current of 

 the electric arc, by MM. Jamin and Maneuvrier. With a 

 Gramme machine and an arc between unequal carbons, or 

 between some metal and carbon, there is a differential current, 

 by which a galvanometer is affected — largely when copper, zinc, 

 or mercury is used ; little (and about equally) with lead, iron, and 

 carbon : these latter show the greatest resistance. The current 

 is explained, not by a difference of resistance, but by an in- 

 equality in the inverse reactions of the arc in the two directions. 

 With a mercury arc, the differential current wholly changes the 

 working of the machine, one system of currents being greatly 

 weakened, while the other grows in strength.— On the reciprocal 

 displacements of halogen substances, and on the secondary cm- 

 pounds which rule them, by M. Berthelot. — Separation of gal- 

 lium, by M. Lecoq de Boisbaudran. He describes the 

 from zirconium, manganese, and /inc. — M. du Moncel presented 

 his work, " On the Microphone, Radiophone, and Phonograph." 

 —Total an observed at Scohag (Upper Egypt), 



May 17 (civil time), 1S82, by M. Thollon. — Same subject : 

 Observations of M. Trepied. He concludes as follows : The 

 position of the green line of the corona corresponds exacly with 

 that of 1474 (Kirchhoff). The relative intensities of dark lines 

 do not seem to be preserved in the spectrum of bright lines. 

 There seems to be a relation between the frequency of the spots 

 and the struciure of the corona. There was undoubtedly nn 

 increase of intensity of absorption lines in the group H, on the 

 moon's contour ; but the author cannot confidently infer a luoar 

 atmosphere. — Same subject, by M. Pinseux. — The President, on 

 a proposal by M. Dumas, asked the Astronomical and Naviga- 

 tion Sections to prepare a programme of observation for the sr lar 

 ecli[>se in 1883. — A letter from M. Ferry announced the opening 

 of the Volta competition for a second period of five years. — On 

 a linear equation, by M. Darboux. The displacements thr. .u-h 

 small dilatation or condensations produced in any inde- 

 finite homogeneous and isotropic medium, are calculable like 

 a Newtonian attraction, by M. Boussinesq. — On the determina- 

 tion of carbonic acid in the air at Cape Horn, by MM, Miintz 

 and Aubin. They describe apparatus for their method, lur- 

 nished to Dr. Hyades, who has been familiarised with 

 its use. — On the products of distillation of colophany, by 

 M. Renard. — On microzymas as cause of the decomposi- 

 tion of oxygenated water, by the tissues of animals and 

 plants, by M. Becheinp. He shows that the microzymas 

 of different organs and tissue; show unequal energy in action on 

 oxygenated water. Numerical results are given in a table. The 

 microzymas of the lung have the greatest activity ; it is as great 

 at first as that of bioxide of manganese, but soon diminishes. 

 Microzymas of the blood and the liver rank next. — On various 

 properties of hydrocyanic acid, by M. Brame. The bodies of 

 animals poisoned with the acid remained in good pre ervati n 

 after a year, though sometimes exposed to 38° C. Preserved in 

 closed vessels, they lose the smell of the acid, and acquire 'hat 

 of formiate of ammonia, w Inch is found in the serous liquid. To 

 embalm with the acid, a little of some substance which absorbs 

 water while hardening (chloride of zinc) should be introduced 

 after the acid.— Chemical composition of different layers of a 

 lava current of Etna, by M. Ricciardi. There is u.ore sesqui- 

 oxide of iron in the parts in contact with aqueous vapour and 

 atmospheric air. — Lithological determination of the meteorite of 

 Estherville, Emmet County, Iowa (May 10, 1S79), by M. 

 Meunier. — On the branchia and circulatory apparatus of Ciona 

 intcstinalis, by M. Roule. — Comparison of alkaline chlorides as 

 regards toxical power or minimum fatal dose, by M. Riehet. 

 These experiments, with chlorides of lithium, sodium, potassium, 

 rubidium, and caesium, were on guinea-pigs, and by injection 

 under the skin. There seems to be no relation between atomic 

 weight and toxical power. — M. Neujean, in a note, proposed 

 manufacture of manures from the basic scorire (containing 10 to 

 15 per cent, of phosphoric acid) from Bessemer retorts, Martin 

 furnaces, and others. 



CONTENTS Page 



The Funeral Tent of an Egyptian Queen 03 



hydrographical surveiing i0 5 



The Horse in Motion 'S° 



Oct. I'.ook Shelf:— 



Floyer's "Unexplored Baluchistan."— A. H. Ke»ne 150 



Cari's "Synopsis of Elementary Results in Pure and Applied 



Mathematics " • ; • ■ I0 7 



Roberts's "Collection of Examples and Problems on Conies and 



some of the Higher Plane Curves " i°7 



Letters to the Editor : — _ _ 



The Recent Unseasonable Weather — E. Douglas Archibald . 197 



The Analysis of the Tuning Fork.— Hermann Smith .... 198 



"Combing" of Waves.— A. M. WorthingtoN 198 



The Seal Islands of Alaska. . . • . . . 199 



A Dynamometer FOR ALTERNATING CURRENTS OF MODERATE 



Strength. By Dr. W. H. Stone ■> 



Mathematics at the Johns Hopkins University ...... -'02 



Kcfnig's Experiments in Acoustics, I. (With Diagrams). ... 203 



The Rainfall of the Globe 



Note 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Maskelyne's Value of the Solar Parallax 



'The Comet of May 17 



Daylight Observation of Comet 1SS2 a 



Physical Notes 



Geography in Russia 



Preliminary Notice of the Results Accomplish 

 .Manufacture and Theo 



By Prof. H. A. Rowland 



University and Educational Intelligence 



Scientific Serials 



Societies and Academies 



• of Gratings for Optical Purposes. 



