February 6, igi^i] 



NATURE 



039 



tion of ethylenic hydrocarbons. The alkyl iodide, if 

 allowed to fall into sodium amide in suspension in 

 liquid ammonia, generally reacts with production of 

 an unsaturated hydrocarbon, propyl iodide giving 

 propylene, and isobutyl iodide, isobutylene ; methyl 

 iodide behaves differently, methylamine being formed. 

 — Em. bourquelot, H. Herissey, and M. Bridel : 

 Syntheses of galactosides of alcohol with the aid of 

 emulsine. ;8-Propvlgalactoside and 6-benzylgalac- 

 toside. — Marcel Godchot and F^lix Taboury : a-Chloro- 

 -cycZopentanone and its derivatives. — Albert Robin : 

 The comparative mineral contents of regions of the 

 liver affected by cancer and regions relatively healthy- 

 Cancerous liver contains a higher proportion of 

 mineral matter than healthy liver ; the composition 

 of the mineral matter is also modified in the parts 

 affected by cancer. — A. Desmouliere : The antigen in 

 the Wassermann reaction. Further remarks on the 

 preservation and use of the syphilitic antigen, the pre- 

 partion of which has been described in earlier com- 

 munications. — L. Tribondeau : The use of plant ex- 

 tracts in the Wassermann reaction. Extracts of cer- 

 tain plants (oats, lentils, peas) behave like animal 

 lipoid extracts ; they become the complement in pre- 

 sence of syphilitic sera, but not with normal sera. 

 The most suitable solvents are indicated. — E. Bodin 

 and F. Chevrel : The bacterial purification of oysters 

 in filtered sea-water. E.xperiments confirming those 

 of M. Fabre-Domergue, proving the complete bac- 

 terial purification of oysters in artificial sea-water in 

 six days. — J. Loris-Melikov : .-Vnaerobic bacteria in 

 typhoid fever. — F. Maignon : Influence of the seasons 

 and of the genital glands on respiratory combustion in 

 the guinea-pig. — Jacques Mawas : The function of the 

 conjunctive tissue of the ciliary body, in the trans- 

 mission of the contraction of the ciliary muscle, and 

 the importance of the zonule in the accommodation 

 of the eye. — ltd. Le Danois : The Medusae collected in 

 the plankton during- the 1912 expedition of the Poiir- 

 ■quoi-Pas ? in the North Sea, under the control of Dr. 

 J. B. Charcot. — M. Painvin : The prosiphon of the 

 Spirula. — E. Chaput : An attempt to date the old allu- 

 vial deposits of the Loire and its affluents. — Robert 

 Douvill^ : The individuality of the Ammonite fauna in 

 the Peltoccras athleta layers. — R. de Kovesligethy : 

 Study of the constitution of the globe bv means of 

 the seismic radii. 



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