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JUNE 9, 1923 

suspension in water upon one pan of a balance and 
thence ascertaining the rate of deposit and estimating 
the associated sizes, employing Stokes’s law. The 
result is a measure of relative numbers of particles 
of each equivalent spherical radius. Six samples 
are treated, three of diatomaceous ooze, and three 
of globigerina ooze. The features of the curves 
showing proportionate distribution of sizes confirm 
the characters formed by Sven Odén from the 
Challenger specimens.—R. A. Houstoun and W. H. 
Manson: Note on a new method of investigating 
colour blindness. In a previous paper Dr. Houstoun 
investigated 23 cases of congenital colour blindness 
and exhibited the results by contour lines on the 
colour triangle. The same method has been applied 
to 14 cases of colour blindness induced by disease. 
The results show that there is no difference in kind 
between the two classes of cases, and that here also 
trichromasy passes into monochromasy directly 
without passing through dichromasy as an_ inter- 
mediate case.—W. Peddie: The mechanism behind 
relativity. The Lorentzian equations of transforma- 
tion from one reference frame to another were 
introduced in order that Maxwell’s equations of 
propagation of electromagnetic action should be 
invariant in form under the transformation. Besides 
this explicit assumption, there is, further, the implicit 
postulate of a single unique luminiferous ether 
through which action is propagated at a constant 
(or approximately constant) speed. The theory of 
relativity was originated by the latter postulate as 
much as by the former. The compulsion to adopt 
Lorentzian relativity disappears if we postulate 
instead that each atom of matter is associated with 
a strain form (in an underlying ether) through which 
alone it receives light, and that it emits light into 
the similar strain forms of other atoms. The 
Michelson-Morley result, the aberrational effect, the 
Fresnel dragging coefficient, and the Doppler effect, 
all follow; and only the Newtonian relativity is 
a gg for light is propagated independently to 
each observer.—R. A. Sampson: On _ Lorentz’s 
equations and the concepts of motion. This paper 
is a mathematical examination of the foundations 
of Lorentz’s equations, with special reference to the 
time paradoxes which it is well known that they 
imply. As a result a group or family of similar 
equations emerges, among which Lorentz’s form 
a a peculiar place. Other members of the 
family introduce no paradoxes and are equally 
competent to explain all the known critical experi- 
ments.—J. Marshall: The interior and exterior space- 
time forms of the Poincaré electron in Weyl’s 
geometry. Forms for ds* are obtained from Weyl’s 
gauging equation. Assuming g,,=o0, the value of 
¢u is obtained, and arising from the ds* form, a 
pressure is shown to act inwards on the electron. 
Paris. 
Academy of Sciences, May 14.—M. Albin Haller in 
the chair.—C. Guichard: The triple orthogonal 
systems of M. Bianchi. Application to a problem on 
reciprocal polars with respect to a sphere.—M. de 
Sparre: Concerning hammering in return mains.— 
i; L. Walsh: A theorem of algebra.—René Garnier : 
niform functions of two independent variables 
defined by the inversion of an algebraic system to 
total differentials of the fourth order.—Georges 
Bouligand: The singularities of harmonic functions. 
—H. G. Evans and H. E. Bray: Poisson’s formula 
and the problem of Dirichlet.—J. Haag: The resolu- 
tion of certain equations of Fredholm by means of an 
NO. 2797, VOL. 111] 
NA Bes 
allowing continuous deposit of the particles from 

795 
integral series.—Max Morand: The electromagnetic 
origin of inert mass and heavy mass.—Maurice 
Nuyens: Gravific field due to a massic sphere taking 
into account the cosmic constant.—Pierre Steiner : 
The ultra-violet absorption spectra of the alkaloids 
of the isoquinoline group: narceine. The ultra- 
violet absorption curve of narceine resembles generally 
that of narcotine and of opianic acid. The curve of 
hydrocotarnine is different from the preceding. So 
little as 0-05 milligrams of narceine in 2 c.c. of solvent 
can be detected spectrographically—A. Dauvillier : 
High frequency spectrographic researches in the 
group of the rare earths. The results of a detailed 
examination of the L series of cerium, neodymium, 
samarium, europium, and gadolintum.—M. S. Lam- 
bert : Stereoradioscopy.—F. Wolfers : An appearance 
of reflection of X-rays at the surface of bodies.— 
Hector Pécheux: The magnetism of steels. An 
account of measurements made with three steels of 
varying carbon content. For forged annealed steels 
the permeability decreases with increase of carbon.— 
G. Athanasiu: The sensibility of photographic plates 
containing mercury salts. Of the mercury salts 
studied, the plates with mercuric iodide were the 
most sensitive, with a maximum in the green, the 
sensibility decreasing rapidly and uniformly with the 
wave-length. Curves are given showing the relation 
between the sensibility and the wave-length for 
mercuric and mercurous iodides, mercurous bromide, 
and chloride.—P. Laffitte: The formation of the 
explosive wave. A study of the explosion of carbon 
bisulphide and oxygen, utilising the photographic 
method of Mallard and Le Chatelier.—Alfred Marx 
and Jean Roziéres: The purification of liquids by the 
simultaneous action of centrifugal force and the 
electric field. The removal of colloidal matters in 
suspension from liquids has been attempted by 
centrifugal force and by electrical fields, but neither 
method has completely solved the problem on the 
industrial scale. The use of an electro-centrifugal 
separator (2700 turns per minute, voltage gradient 
4000 volts per centimetre), has proved successful 
with dirty transformer oil, the breaking down voltage 
being increased from 19,000 to 31,000 volts. This 
material remained practically unchanged when 
rotated at the same speed without an electrical field ; 
the latter, without rotation, also proved ineffective.— 
Paul Pascal: The preparation of sodium meta- 
phosphate at a low temperature. By the interaction 
of sodium ethylate and ethyl metaphosphate, sodium 
metaphosphate is produced at a temperature between 
35° and 4o° C. Its cryoscopic behaviour proves this 
salt to have the formula NaPO,, differing from the 
polymers previously known. The salt may be heated 
to 800° C. without polymerisation.—Pastureau and 
H. Bernard: Tetramethylglycerol. The chlorhydrin 
(CH,), . C(OH) . CHCl. C(OH)(CHs)2, the mode of 
preparation of which has already been described by 
the authors, on treatment with an aqueous solution of 
potassium carbonate gives tetramethylglycerol.— 
Alfred Gillet: A verification of the antioxygen power 
of the polyphenols: relation between the fastness to 
light of dyes on the fibre and the presence in their 
molecule of the diphenol function (ortho- or para-). 
With the exception of pyrazolone dyes and cotton 
fabrics dyed with a copper mordant, great stability 
of dyes on fibre is closely related to the presence in 
the molecule of an o- or p- diphenol group.—Ph. 
Schereschewsky and Ph. Wehrle: The study of 
clouds by synoptic photography (the cloud week).— 
J. Houdas: The preservation of seeds in inert gases. 
Certain seeds (such as Geubera Jamesoni) lose their 
germinating power after exposure to air for a few 
weeks. In sealed tubes in an inert gas (hydrogen or 
