March i8, 1909] 



NATURE 



Court yew (Taxtis baccata, var. fastigiata), growing at 

 the same place, contained 0323 per cent, of taxinc in one 

 tree and 0623 per cent, in another. In the fruit taxine 

 was found in the seed only, 0079 per cent, and 0-082 per 

 cent, in two specimens of Irish yew. The wide variation 

 in the quantity of taxine in the leaves of yew accounts for 

 the very contradictory statements made from time to time 

 about their toxic properties. — A proposed analytical 

 machine : Percy E. Ludgate. The paper gives an account 

 of a portable machine designed by the author to evaluate 

 automatically any algebraic function for given values of 

 the variables. Mathematically it is closely allied to the 

 projected analytical engine of Charles Babbage, but it rests 

 on different mechanical principles. The machine is guided 

 in the development of any given function by a perforated 

 "formula-paper," which is specifically prepared for that 

 function. A single " formula-paper " can be used for an 

 infinite number of algebraically identical calculations, the 

 numerical values of the variables for any particular case 

 of the general formula being communicated by a key- 

 board to the machine, which inscribes them in type-carry- 

 ing shuttles. The shuttles are compactly stored in two 

 coaxial cylindrical shuttle-boxes. The fundamental opera- 

 tions of the machine, which tal<e place under the guidance 

 of the " formula-paper," are the multiplication of the 

 numbers inscribed in any two shuttles, and the inscription 

 of the product in one or two shuttles. Important features 

 of the machine are the use of a slide-rule method for 

 multiplication, and the adaptation of the binomial theorem 

 to provide a converging series for division. It is claimed 

 that a new rapid method of mechanically performing the 

 carrying of tens is embodied in the machine. 



P.ARIS. 



Academy of Scien es, March S. — M. Bruchard in the 

 chair. — The role of the septic tank in the biological puri- 

 fication of sewage : A. Miintz and E. Laine. Whilst the 

 utility of the septic tank in the biological treatment of 

 sewage is generally admitted, there is no general agree- 

 ment as to whether its chief function is that of a deposit- 

 ing tank or whether the fermentative processes which 

 take place are really an essential step in the purification. 

 According to the authors' experiments, the deposition 

 of the material in suspension is practically all that 

 happens in the septic tank. — The evacuation of tubercle 

 bacilli by the bile in the intestine in animals affected with 

 latent lesions : A. Calmette and C. Guerin, A portion 

 of any tubercle bacilli introduced into the circulatory 

 system may be eliminated by the hepatic gland and 

 evacuated with the bile in the intestine. Owing to the 

 bile acting on the envelope of the bacilli, the latter are 

 more easily absorbed by the healthy intestinal membrane, 

 and hence re-infection may easily take place. — The deter- 

 mination of conjugate systems : S. Carrus. — The general- 

 isation of a theorem of Poisson : Th. De Donder. — 

 Certain systems of differential equations : E. Goursat. 

 • — The multiform integrals of algebraical differential equa- 

 tions : Pierre Boutroux. — The thermal effects of the 

 musical arc : M. La Rosa. From the sugar carbon heated 

 in the musical arc, an experiment described in an earlier 

 communication, small crystals possessing some of the 

 properties of diamonds have been isolated. — Electrocapillary 

 actions and discharge in rarefied gases : G. Reboul. — 

 The unsymmetrical effect produced by a continuous current 

 in chains of aqueous solutions of electrolytes possessing 

 a common ion : M. Chanoz. — The part played by impuri- 

 ties in the photoelectric effect with liquids : Eugfene 

 Bloch. The effects have been traced to a superficial layer 

 of grease. Water carefullv purified, and placed in a vessel 

 freed from all traces of grease, does not show the Hertz 

 effect, but simply stirring with the finger is sufficient to 

 make this water strongly photoelectric. — The hypothesis 

 of the existence of positive electrons in vacuum tubes. 

 Ropiv to the note of Si. J. Becquerel : A. Dufour. The 

 author strongly denies the necessity of the hypothesis of 

 the existence of positive ions to explain the phenomena 

 described by M. J. Becquerel. — Spectrophotometry with a 

 monochromatic field : J. Thovert. — The influence of 



impurities on the thermoelectric power and resistance of 

 aluminium: H. Pecheux. The amounts of iron and 

 silicon were determined in three specimens of a uminium, 

 and measurements made of the resistance and also of the 

 electromotive forces of Al/Cu thermocouples.— Researches 

 on the coefticient of diffusion of the actinium emanation : 

 G Bruhat. The actinium emanation was shown to 

 behave like a gas, since the coefficient of diffusion was 

 found to vary inversely as the pressure. Measurements ot 

 the rate of diffusion into carbon dioxide and into hydrogen 

 were then made, leading to 70 as the approximate mole- 

 cular weight of the actinium emanation.— Observations 

 on spontaneous crystallisation : Ren6 Marcellin. _ The 

 hypothesis of the preexistence of crystalline nuclei in the 

 solution does not accord with the experimental facts given 

 in this paper; on the other hand, the supposition that 

 particles of dust in suspension form the starting points of 

 Ihe crystals appears to be very probable -The nature of 

 the metatungstates and the existence of rotatory power 

 in crvstals of potassium metatungstate : H. Copaux.-lhe 

 phosphides of tin : Pierre Jolibois. By heating together 

 phosphorus and tin under atmospheric pressure, the phos- 

 nhide Sn P„ is the only definite compound capable of 

 isolation in the pure state. Heating in a closed tube 

 under pressure the compound SnP, was obtained 

 Chemical and microscopical examination confirmed the 

 existence of these compounds ; ingots ^°"*^'"'"f, ''" . ^'^ 

 phosphorus in other proportions were shown to be hetero- 

 geneous, and hence such phosphides as bn.,P,, s n t 

 Sn P SnP, and SnP„ described by earlier workers, have 

 probably no real existence-Experiments on an old 

 vUrified^ glass which had become violet coloured under the 

 influence of the sun's rays: M. Delachanal.-A new 

 method for determining the constitution of /he sugars _ 

 M Hanriot. This method is based on the formation of 

 a chloralose, bv the addition of chloral, and subsequent 

 oxidation to a "chloralic acid. It applies o any C or C, 

 aklehvdic sugar, but fails with the two ketones (levu ose 

 ."nd sorbose) ex;mined.-The preponderance of temperature 

 in direct decompositions: the case of the benzoic and 

 salicylic esters: Albert Col«on.-The transformation of 

 pinonic acid into i : 3-dimethyl-4-phenylacetic f^.d . Ph. 

 Barbie.- and V. Grignard. This unexpected intra- 

 molecular change, in which the tetramethylene ring is 

 opened up and a hexamethylene ring formed, takes place 

 under the action of bromine and water at 100 C. Ihe 

 vields are good, and a crude pinonic acid may be used 

 in the preplration.-The preparation of the anhydrides of 

 cyclic and acyclic acids : A. Behal. A s udy of the action 

 of benzenvl chloride upon the fattv acids.-The_ normal 

 heteromerism of Phlox suhulata : Paul _Vu.llem.n.--The 

 experimental determination of the effective doses of the 

 X-rays retained bv the tissues of the organism : H. 

 Guilieminot.-The' action of the quartz mercury vapour 

 l.imp on the toxin of tetanus : Jules Courmont and 1 h. 

 Noeier. After a long exposure to the mercury lamp the 

 actW\tv of the toxin is slightly diminished.-The action 

 of d'Arsonvalisation on the peripheral circulation: h.. 

 Doumer.-The constitution of the macronucleus of the 

 ciliated infusoria: E. Faure-Fremiet.--The interstitial 

 Granulations of striated muscular fibres : CI. Regraud and 

 M Fawre.— The structure acquired by the seminiferous 

 rmnl of the common mole [Talpa euyol>aea) after the 

 period of reproduction : A. Lecaillon.— The discovery of 

 .T Danian horizon with echinids in the basin of Seybouse, 

 Mgeria: J. Dareste de la Chavanne.— The physico- 

 chemical variations of sea-water on the coast at Con- 

 cirnpaii : R. Legendi-e. 



Calcutt.*. 

 Asiatic Society of Bengal, Februtiry 3.— On ihe correla- 

 tions of areas of matured crop and the rainfall and certain 

 allied problems in agriculture and meteorology :_ b. M. 

 Jacob. Apart from the fact that the data of this paper 

 differ from those considered bv Blanford, the special object 

 has been to find equations which will predict within certain 

 limits of error the amount of a crop from the rainfall on 

 which it depends. These equations are the well-known 

 regression equations, and in forming them the author 



NO. 2055, VOL. 80] 



