December 26, 1907] 



NA TURE 



191 



sewage (i) in alkaline solution, iy.) in distilled water : J. E. 

 Purvis and R. M. Courtauld. The results showed that 

 after incubations extending over eight weeks there were 

 only small quantities of nitrates produced; also that (i) 

 there were smaller quantities of nitrates produced in the 

 alkaline solution than in the non-alkaline ; (2) a larger 

 comparative increase of the free ammonia in the alkaline 

 than in the non-alkaline solution ; and (3) a progressive 

 diminution in the total ammonias. — The influence of light 

 and of copper on fermentation : J. E. Purvis and VV. A. R. 

 Wiiks. The results showed that fermentation under 

 sterilised and non-sterilised conditions in glass vessels under 

 the influence of various spectral colours, as well as of 

 white light, was not very seriously influenced. The most 

 marked effects were in differences in the acidities of the 

 fermented wort ; the fermentations under the influence of 

 red rays were more acid than those in the white light, 

 but the differences in the numbers obtained from the optical 

 activities were not sufficiently marked to draw definite 

 conclusions. The influence of copper on the fermentation 

 was very marked. Very small quantities were sufficient to 

 cause great differences in the numbers obtained from the 

 optical activity, the copper o.xide reducing power, the 

 attenuation, and the acidity. — Resolution of optically active 

 ammonium salts by means of tartaric acid : H. O. Jones. 

 — -Studies on platinocyanides : L. k. Levy. The crystals 

 of barium platinocyanide may be obtained in two forms, 

 whi<h exhibit a great difference in physical properties — 

 notably in their fluorescence and colour. The present com- 

 munication contains an account of the author's experiments 

 on the nature of the two varieties and the fluorescence 

 exhibited by them. — Orientation of substituted brom- 

 anilines : J. R. Hill. — The solutions of ordinary linear 

 differential equations having doubly periodic coefficients : 

 J. Mercer. 



Dublin. 



Royal Dublin Society, November 19. — Prof. Sydney Voung, 

 I'.R.S., in the chair. — The synthesis of glycosides: some 

 derivatives of xylose; H. Ryan and G. Ebrill. By the action 

 of acetyl chloride on xylose in a sealed tube acetyl-chloro- 

 xylose was obtained. The substance, which crystallised 

 well, melted at 101° C. From it the xylosides of 

 «-naphthol and carvacrol, and the tetracetyl derivative of 

 xylose were prepared. j3a-Naphthyl-xyloside was formed by 

 I addition of acetyl-chloro-xylose to a solution of potash and 

 I a-naphthol in absolute alcohol. It crystallises in long 

 I needles, which melt at 192'' C. to 193° C. The substance 

 is soluble in alcohol, acetone, and acetic ester, and almost 

 insoluble in ether, carbon bisulphide, chloroform, and 

 J petroleum ether. It does not reduce Fehling's solution, 

 i Emulsin has no action on it. In a similar manner acetyl- 

 chloro-xylose was converted into carvacryl-xyloside. The 

 latter substance crystallises in needles, which are soluble 

 in alcohol, ether, chloroform, acetic ester, and acetone, 

 but are insoluble in carbon bisulphide. Its melting point 

 is 105° C. Like the corresponding o-naphthyl compound, it 

 nilures Fehling's solution only after inversion by hot dilute 

 ai ilk. Tetracetyl-xylose, which was obtained by the action 

 fif silver acetate on acetyl-chloro-xylose, is a crystalline 

 >i'lid which melts at 110° C. (uncorr.). — The radio-activity 

 nf sea-water : J. Joly. Examination of five samples of sea- 

 water from various points round the Irish coast seems to 

 show that when care is taken not to precipitate the radium 

 in a non-emanating form when concentrating by evapora- 

 tion land for this purpose it is necessary to add a few 

 r.c. of pure HCl when evaporating), the quantity of radium 

 found is much greater than has been ascribed to sea-water 

 hitherto. The larger values found may be in part due to 

 ^ii^jiended coastal materials. Experiments on mid-ocean 

 V iicrs are in progress. 



Manxhester. 



Literary and Philosophical Society. October 29. — 

 Prof. H. B. Dixon. F.R.S., president, in the chair. — The 

 atomic weight of radium : Dr. H. Wilde. — The production 

 and origin of radium : Prof. E. Rutherford. -An account 

 was given of the historical development of our ideas in 



NO. I99I, VOL. •]•]'] 



regard to radium. On the disintegration theory, radium 

 is regarded as a substance undergoing slow spontaneous 

 transformation with a period of about 2000 years. In 

 order to account for the existence of radium in minerals 

 of great age, it is necessary to suppose that radium is 

 produced from another substance of long period of trans- 

 formation. There is a genetic connection between uranium 

 and radium, for investigation has shown that the amount 

 of radium in minerals is in all cases proportional to their 

 content of uranium. If this be the case, radium should 

 gradually appear in a preparation of uranium, initially 

 freed from radium. No such growth of radium has been 

 observed over a period of several years, although a very 

 minute growth of radium can be easily detected. This is 

 not necessarily inconsistent with the disintegration theory. 

 for if one or more products of slow transformation exist 

 between uranium and radium, no appreciable growth of 

 the latter is to be expected in a short interval. A search 

 for this intermediate product has recently proved successful. 

 Boltwood found that a preparation of actinium, initially 

 freed from radium, grew radium at a constant and rapid 

 rate. Boltwood at first considered that actinium was this 

 intermediate product, and that actinium changed directly 

 into radium. The growth of radium in actinium solutions 

 was confirmed by the author, who had commenced ex- 

 periments in that direction three years before. The experi- 

 ments showed, however, that actinium did not, as Bolt- 

 wood supposed, change directly into radium. By a special 

 method, a preparation of actinium was obtained by the 

 author which showed no appreciable growth of radium 

 over a period of 240 days. The growth of radium, if it 

 occurred at all, was certainly less than i, '500th of that 

 ordinarily observed. In another case, a solution of 

 actinium was obtained which produced radium faster than 

 the normal. These results are completely explained by 

 supposing that a new substance of slow transformation is 

 present with actinium, and this substance is transformed 

 directly into radium. This parent of radium has distinct 

 chemical properties, which allow it to be separated from 

 both actinium and radium. The absence of growth of 

 radium observed in the actinium solution mentioned above 

 is due to the fact that, by the special method, the parent 

 of radium had been completely separated from the 

 actinium. In recent letters to Nature, Boltwood confirmed 

 the results of the author, and described a satisfactory 

 method of separating the radium parent from actinium. 

 He has shown that this new body, which he proposes to 

 call " ionium," gives out a and 5 rays, and has the 

 chemical properties of thorium. The Royal Society 

 recently loaned the author the actinium residues from 

 about a ton of pitchblende. These residues contain the 

 parent of radium, and experiments are in progress to 

 isolate and concentrate both the actinium and ionium in 

 these residues. 



November 12. — Prof. H. B. Dixon, F.R.S., president, 

 in the chair. — (i) The cone of Botlirodendron mundum 

 (Will.) ; (2) on the ulodendroid scar : D. M. S. Watson. 

 In the former it was pointed out that the small hermaph- 

 rodite lycopodiaceous cone described by Williamson in 

 part X. of his series of monographs on the organisation 

 of the fossil plants of the Coal-measures had an axis 

 which agreed very closely with the wood of a sinall stem 

 of Bothrodendron mundum. On the evidence of the 

 characters of the axis and of the sporophylls, supported 

 by constant association of the cone or its characteristic 

 megaspores with stems of Bothrodendron mundum, it was 

 concluded that the cone in question was really that of 

 Bothrodendron mundum. In the paper on the ulodendroid 

 scar, the theory that ulodendroid scars were produced by 

 the pressure of the bases of sessile cones was shown to 

 present difficulties, e.g. cones large enough to have pro- 

 duced scars 6 inches in diameter were unknown, and it 

 was difficult to see how the scars would have grown 

 appreciably without becoming wider laterally than 

 vertically, which was never the case. It was shown that 

 all the ordinary features of a ulodendroid scar could be 

 explained on the theory that it represented the base of a 

 branch attached to the whole area of the scar. 



