86 
= = : 
NATURE 
[WVov. 18, 1869 
several hours after the dose had been taken, but it was also 
quantitatively proved that the total proportion eliminated was an 
excessively small fraction of what was taken into the body. This 
was demonstrated both in the case of healthy men, and in that of 
persons suffering from disease. [See Tenth Report of the Medical 
Officer of the Privy Council, p. 288.] 
Moreover, unknown to either of the above observers, M. 
Schulinus of Dorpat, in 1866, made elaborate experiments on 
animals, which also showed conclusively (1) that elimination of 
alcohol does take place, and (2) that it only represents a fractional 
part of the alcohol taken. [Archiv. f. Heilkunde, 1866.] 
However delicate and useful, therefore, M. Lieben’s test may 
be in itself, it was not needed to decide this question, which was 
already settled. A. Duprt, Ph.D. 
Laboratory, Westminster Hospital, Nov. 15 
NOTES 
Tue Royal Society commences another session to-night. The 
communication of the results of the recent dredging expedition in 
the Porcupine will most probably take up the whole of the 
evening. 
Tue great ‘“ Catalogue of Scientific Papers compiled and pub- 
lished by the Royal Society,” has now reached its third volume ; 
a fact which we have much pleasure in announcing. In this the 
names of authors are carried on from GRE to LEZ inclusive, so 
that the compilers are nearly halfway through the alphabet. 
We congratulate them on their good progress, and can promise 
them the cordial appreciation of scientific men all over the 
world, to whom the work will prove of inestimable value. Does 
a mathematician wish to know how many mathematical papers 
have been written by Grunert, the well-known editor of the 
“Archiv,” he turns to this volume, and finds 343. Guerin 
Méneville, the naturalist, figures for 326 ; Hagen, entomologist, 
for 102; the veteran Haidinger has 286 on minerals and me- 
teorites ; while Henwood, a Cornish celebrity, shows 55 papers 
on geological and mining subjects; and Heer, of Zurich, to 
whom we are indebted for admirable descriptions of fossil flora 
of the primeval world, numbers 46; Sir William Hamilton 
heads a list of 69 papers; Hansen, 103, probing deep into 
astronomy ; Hansteen, the Norwegian, who lives to see in Sir 
Edward Sabine’s researches, a grand outcome of his own early 
investigations of terrestrial magnetism, has 141 papers; Dr. 
Hooker appears for 58 papers ; his late father for 72; and the 
late W. Hopkins, who did so much in mathematical geology, for 
33. Dr. Hofmann, the eminent chemist, has made himself 
responsible for 156 papers ; Mr. Lassell for 66, and Leverrier 
for 88. Kummer, recently elected a foreign member of the 
Royal Society, is down for 51 ; Leuckhart for 64; the indefati- 
gable Isaac Juea, of Philadelphia, for 106, mostly about shells ; 
and Lamont, of Munich, for 90, on magnetism, meteorology, 
and various questions in physical astronomy. From this brief 
selection our readers will see what a rich fund of scientific 
information has been prepared for their use by the Royal 
Society. 
Amonc the recently published state papers of the American 
Government, is the annual report of the president of the National 
Academy of Sciences, from which we make the following ex- 
tracts. It will be seen that in America there is no mistake 
about what is considered to be the duty of the Government in 
regard to scientific research —we wish we could say as much for 
England :—‘“‘ The members of the Academy consist principally of 
professors in our colleges, and a few officers of the army and navy, 
who, from their social position and moral character generally, have 
the confidence of the public in a degree surpassed by no other class 
of the community. 
means, receiving no pecuniary reward for their discoveries, and 
by !aw allowed nothing for their labours in the Academy, and who 
They are, however, generally men of limited | 
can ill afford the expense of assembling, from a distance, in the 
city of Washington. A small sum appropriated by Congress for 
the expense of their annual meetings, by which a full attendance 
could be secured, would be money well bestowed. It would 
stimulate higher researches, elevate the character of the associa- 
tion, and be productive of more valuable assistance to the 
Government. I feel myself more at liberty to urge the claims of 
the Academy, inasmuch as its members generally, including 
myself, took no step towards its establishment. Indeed, I must 
confess that I had no idea that the national legislature, amid the 
absorbing and responsible duties connected with an intestine 
war, which threatened the very existence of the Union, would 
pause in its deliberations to consider such a proposition, But 
Congress, having expressed its sense of the importance of an 
organisation of this kind, the members designated accepted in 
good faith the appointment, and have since endeavoured zealously 
to discharge the obligations thus deyolved upon them, /¢ 75 ow 
the duty of Congress to do its part, by furnishing the means to 
enable the Academy to fulfil its mission with credit to itself and the 
nation.” 
THE Minister of Public Instruction has given orders for the 
construction of an Agricultural Map of France, on a novel plan. 
It will be built up of specimens of the various soils, arranged 
according to locality. 
From accounts of the last meetings of the Wellington Philo- 
sophical Society and New Zealand Institute which have reached 
us, it is clear that good scientific work is being done at our anti- 
podes, much of it in Dr. Hector’s laboratory. The most inte- 
resting result recently obtained is the isolation of the poisonous 
substance in the Tutu plant. Many experiments made for this 
purpose during the last six years, both in the laboratory of the 
Geological Survey and by chemists in Great Britain, failed to 
discover the poisonous ingredient of the plant. A short time 
ago, Mr. Henry Travers collected for the Museum a large 
quantity of ripe seeds of the Tutu (Coriaria ruscifolia), and on 
these Mr. Skey has recently experimented. He has discovered 
the poison to be a greenish oil, unaffected by, and insoluble in, 
water and mineral acids, but soluble in acetic acid, ether, alcohol, 
and chloroform. This oil is combined with a red-coloured resin, 
which is insoluble in ether, by removing which the poisonous oil 
was obtained in a pure state. The quantity of the poison con- 
tained in the seed is 12 per cent. of the weight. A similar oil 
has been detected by Mr. Skey to be the active poisonous element 
in the Karaka seed (Corynocarpus leirgata), which will account 
for its having hitherto escaped detection ; and he suggests that 
the discovery might lead to the detection of the active principle 
of many poisonous European plants that have hitherto eluded 
research. 
ANOTHER item of New Zealand news is that the result of all 
Dr. Hector’s investigations into the geology of the islands is, 
that New Zealand must be considered as, on the whole, well 
supplied with mineral fuel. The most valuable description of 
coal is certainly confined to limited and not very accessible areas ; 
but still there is nothing to prevent their being profitably worked 
for the supply of the steam service. The great point for con- 
gratulation, however, is, that throughout almost every part of the 
islands, coal of a practically useful description is to be found 
within a short distance. 
We are glad to see that the Essex Institute—not our Essex, 
but the American one—is extending its sphere of action by issuing 
a Bulletin in addition to their ordinary proceedings. The Bulletin 
is intended to give to the public such portions of communica- 
tions made to the Institute at its semi-monthly and other public 
meetings, as are of popular interest. A brief summary of all 
the proceedings at each meeting will be given, which will 
