2 74 



NATURE 



\Aug. I, 1872 



medicine, showinn; also clearly tliat to the remarkable and rapid 

 development of this branch of chemistry during the past few 

 years, is due the more scientific and complete system of thera- 

 peutics now olitained. lie also points out in how many in- 

 stances medicine lias derived immense benefit from the discoveries 

 of new compounds, which at first seemed only to possess a 

 theoretical interest to cliemists. — A paper on Antliracene and its 

 derivatives, follows, by M. E. Kopp. It treats, in the first in- 

 stance, of the formation from antliracene of dichloranthracene, 

 and on the action of sulphuric acid on this body. Thi5 

 yields an acid called disulphodichloranthracenic, and wliich 

 possesses in dilute aqueous solutions a most intense and 

 lieautiful fluorescence in the blue end of the spectrum. The 

 salts of this acid, the soluble ones of which exhibit the same 

 property, are here described. This acid, by simply heating or by 

 the aid of oxidising agents, is converted into disulphanthraquinonic 

 acid. Dibromanthracene may be made to yield an analogous 

 series ot compounds, which in some instances are also beautifully 

 fluorescent. Disulplianthraquinonic acid, heated strongly with a 

 caustic alkali, is converted into alizarin, which is identical with 

 the colouring matter obtained from madder root. In this paper 

 a description is given of the methods proposed by the various 

 patentees in the matter, thus forming a tolerably complete history 

 of this new branch of industry. Some space is also occupied 

 with a discussion as to the state in which alizarin occurs in 

 garancin ; the balance of evidence seems to show that it is 

 glucoside, which may be called ruberythric acid, and which by 

 the assimilation of two equivalents of water, forms alizarin and 

 two equivalents of glucose. — M. Blossum contributes another 

 part of his memoir on Caoutchouc and Gutta-percha considered 

 from a chemical standpoint. In this article he discusses the 

 vulcanisation of caoutchouc, and the manufacture of the softened 

 variety, giving Parkes' process for vulcanising, which consists in 

 exposing the articles to the action of a mixture of carbonic 

 disulphide and chloride of sulphur, after which treatment they 

 are boiled in dilute soda solution ; the same communication also 

 deals with vulcanite and the vulcanite employed in dentistry. — 

 Dr. Benrath has a paper on the Chemical Theory of Devitrifi- 

 cation. The author has made numerous analyses which show 

 reason to think that a part of devitrification is due to a separation 

 of silica, which was previously held in solution by a silicate. 

 The number finishes with a critical analysis by M. P". Papillon 

 on the recent work of M. Ritter, "On the Relation between 

 the Modifications of the Blood Corpuscles and tlie Modification 

 of the Excretions," which appears to be a very valuable work. 



'Yw^ Journal of Ike Franklin Institute for June contains, be- 

 sides papers to which we have specially alluded, continuations of 

 papers previously commenced, and the usual Editorial items and 

 novelties, the Report of the Committee of Judges upon the 

 Trial of Steam Boilers, American Institute, 1871 ; experiments 

 on various coals of the Carboniferous and Cretaceous periods, 

 an article on the gunpowder pile driver, byF. C. Prindle, C.E., 

 with a plate ; one on the great fires of 187 1 in the North-west, 

 by Prof. J. A. Lapham ; and one on the utilisation of the light 

 petroleum oils, by W. H. Wahl. 



The Archives des Sciences physiijues et natnrclles of Geneva, 

 No. 174 for June 15, commences with an interesting article by 

 Alpli. De CandoUe on the question whether modifications in 

 vegetable species are caused by prolonged influence of climate. 

 For this purpose he obtained from remote localities in Europe, 

 Moscow, Edinburgh, Montpellier, and Palermo, seeds of widely- 

 distributed plants, and sowed them in the same soil and at the 

 same time in Geneva. Although the series of experiments w.as 

 not sufficiently extensive for the conclusions to have any decisive 

 value, the general result was that the seeds obtained from the 

 more northern localities germinated somewhat earlier than those 

 grown in more southern latitudes, and the plants resulting from 

 them also came to maturity somewhat more rapidly, a difference 

 which was more decidedly manifested in the second generation. 

 If these results are confirmed by a more complete investigation, 

 they will be of considerable import.ance in the question of accli- 

 matisation. — The only other original articles in this number are 

 by M. Ador on phtalyl, the radical of phtalic acid, and on the 

 increase of intensity of voltaic induction' currents, by Prof 

 Lemstrom. 



In the Journal of Botany for July, Dr. Braithwaite continues 

 his series of papers, " Recent Additions to our Moss Flora," this 

 instalment being illustrated by two plates, of Splachnobryiini 

 Wri};ktii, and several species of Crinimia ; and the Rev. Eugene 



O'Meara contributes further researches on the Diatomacear. Two 

 useful local lists of flowering plants are also g iven, by Dr. M. M. 

 Bull, of the Island of Sark, and by Mr. J. F. Duthie, of the 

 Islands of Malta and Gozq. 



The Quarterly Jour mil of .SV/cz/cc' for July contains four original 

 articles. The first is a short one, entitled " The Music of 

 Speech," by the Rev. R. W. Iliggs, consisting chiefly of an 

 epitome of "The Philosophy of the Human Voice," by Dr. 

 James Rush, of Philadt-lphia, who claims to have shown that 

 " the sentiment and the logic of our speech have a distinct mode 

 of expression apart from the subject matter." The article is in- 

 teresting ; but we must protest against the introduction into our 

 language of such barbarisms as an " orotund," compounded 

 from ore rotiindo, and a " vocality," to express a vocal sound, 

 — The second article is an able advocacy of the advantages of a 

 uniform decimal system of weights and measures, compared with 

 our present multifarious scales. — Mr. R. A. Proctor on "The 

 Construction of the Heavens" gives an outline of the different 

 theories which have been started as to the constitution of the 

 sidereal system, especially those of the two Herschels and the 

 elder Struve, and argues in support of his view that all the nebula; 

 hitherto discovered, whether gaseous or stellar, exist within the 

 limits of the sidereal system. —The last .article is by Captain 

 Oliver on " Medireval and Modern Ordnance and Projectiles com- 

 pared." — The remainder of the number is taken up with 

 notices of scientific works and reports of progress in physical 

 and mechanical science. 



Hk'ue Scientifique, Nos. 51-53, and 2nd series, 2nd year, Nos. 

 1-4. — The report of M. Claude Bernard's course of lectures at 

 the College de France on experimental medicine is brought to a 

 conclusion with the close of the volume. Further reports are given 

 of papers read at the Roitock meeting of the Association of Ger- 

 man naturalists and physicians. M. L Dumont has an article 

 on civilisation considered as accummulated force. Report 

 of M. Milne-Edwards' lecture on the Classification of Mam- 

 malia, being the introduction to his course at the Museum of 

 Natural History on Zoology (Mammalia and Aves). — The new 

 volume commences with a translation of Sir John Lubbock on 

 the Origin of the Family. .Sir W. .Stokes's lecture before the 

 University of DubUn on Public Medicine in Germany is trans- 

 lated. Of courses of lectures in France, we have M. de Quatre- 

 fage on the origin of the Prussian race at the Museum of 

 Natural History ; M. A. Chauveau, before the Society of Medi- 

 cal Sciences at Lyons, on the general physiology of virus ; and 

 M. Georges Ville, at Vincennes, on Chemical Manures. No. 

 4 contains an interesting sketch of the history of the Observatory 

 at Greenwich, a sequel to the history of the Paris Observatory 

 in an earlier number. We have also the usual amount of re- 

 ports of the proceedings of foreign scientific societies. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 



London 

 Entomological Society, July i. — Prof Westwood, president, 

 in the chair. — Mr. Tenner Weir exhibited two examples of a rare 

 British Icpidopterous insect, Axrotern nemoralis, captured by him 

 in Abbot's Wood, .Sussex. — Mr. Meldola exhibited varieties of 

 several species of British Lepidoptera, and an example of ZiV(f3- 

 nia vitellina, taken at Brighton in i86g. — Prof. Westwood ex- 

 hibited several remarkable coleopterous insects sent from Ceylon 

 by Mr. Thwaites ; also, from the same locality, banded cocoons 

 of a species of Ichneumoniile attached to threads nearly three 

 inches long ; and an illustration of the hab'ls of some spcc'es of 

 moth which cuts out large oval pieces from the leaves of Citrus 

 and forms therewith a moveable flattened tent, beneath which it 

 lives and undergoes its transformations. — Mr. MuUer exhibited 

 portions of the leaves oK Pteris aquilina from Weybridge, attacked 

 by three species of dipterous larva;. — Mr. Dunning called atten- 

 tion to a letter in Naturf. from Dr. Leconte concerning the 

 p.arasite of the beaver on which Prof Westwood had founded the 

 order Aelireiol'tera. Dr. Leconte considered the insect pertained 

 to the Coleoptera. Prof Westwood dissented therefrom. — Mr. 

 Dunning also read extracts from an article in the samejournal by 

 Mr. Moseley, concerning the sound produced by the Death's- 

 head Moth, in which the writer maintained that the noise pro- 

 ceeded from the proboscis, and was caused by the expiration of 

 air. — Mr. Lewis brought to the notice of the meeting a circular 

 addressed to entomologists (with a list of signatures appended 



