TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 155 



of (lissolviug certain principles frnm tlio brain. These princiiiles include cerebrine 

 (CjilIp^NjO^), myeliue (Cj.JI^jNPCJg), and apparent!}' a new phospliorized prin- 

 ciple insoluble in strong- alcoliol, together with that class of suDstances generally 

 termed extractives. At the same time the brain swells and attains a smaller 

 specific gTavity : thus in one case from lO.'iO it became 1007. It is notable that 

 water, however, dissolves no kephaline (C^jIT^gNPOij) from the brain. 



Alcohol seems to have no more chemical effect on the brain than water itself, so 

 long as its proportion to the total volume of fluid does not exceed a given extent. 

 The limit would appear to exist somewhere near a fluid containing 35 "/o alcohol. 

 But if the percentage of alcohol exceeds this amount, then not only a larger 

 quantity of matter is dissolved from the brain, but that matter includes" kephaline 

 (C^^IIre'^POjj). Such alcoholic solutions also decrease to about the same extent 

 as water the specific gravity of brain-substance, but not from the same cause ; that 

 is to say, not merely by the loss of substance and swelling, but by the fixation of 

 waier. Many difficulties surround the attempt to follow these ideas into life, and 

 to comprehend in what way each or all these modes of action of water and alcohol 

 on the brain may be iutiueneed by the other matters present in blood. From 

 Thudichuni's researches it follows that the brain must be subject to every influence 

 afTecting the blood ; and it is probable, on consideration, that what is written above 

 regarding the action of water on the brain is likewise true of an extraordinary 

 watery serum in life. But if the serum be rich in salts, those salts, by a power of 

 combination which they have for the cerebral principles, would preserve the inte- 

 grity of the latter. On the other hand it is difficult to see how any of the matters 

 known to exist in the blood could prevent alcohol, if it were present in sufficient 

 amount, either from hardening the brain (as it does after death) or from dissolving 

 traces of the principles to be henceforth carried away in the circulation. That is 

 to say, should physiological research confirm the stated fact that the brain in life 

 absorbs alcohol and retains it, it would almost follow of necessity that the alcohol 

 would act as I have indicated and produce disease, perhaps "delirium tremens." 



On the Poisonous Activity of Vanadium in OrtJio-, Meta-, and Pyrovanadie 

 Acids. By Leopold Larmuth. 



The author concludes from certain experiments detailed that the toxic intensity 

 of orthovanadate of sodium is much less than that of the pyro- and metavanadates 

 of the same base, but that the fundamental mode of action is the same in each. 



On the Action and Sounds of the Heart. By Dr. PATOlf. 



Note on the Physiohyical Action of Vanadium. By John Priestley. 



The author described the methods of experiment and observation followed out 

 in a research into the physiological action of vanadium, and concluded by stating 

 the general results arrived at, viz. : — 



1. That vanadium is a poisonous substance. 



2. That the symptoms of poisoning are, in general, similar whatever the method 

 of the introduction of the salt into the animal system. 



3. That the symptoms of poisoning which appeared in one or other of the various 

 classes of animals above mentioned are : — paralysis of motion ; convulsions, local or 

 general ; rapidly supervening drowsiness or indiflerence to external circumstances ; 

 congestion of alimentary mucous membranes ; discharge of sanguinolent fluid faeces; 

 presence of glairy, fluid mucus in the intestines after death ; certain changes in 

 respiration, and. coincidently, a fall in temperature ; drowsiness and feebleness of 

 pulse. In addition, the heart was always irritable after death, consciousness and 

 sensibility to pain seemed unimpaired, and no diminution could be detected in the 

 powers of muscle and nerve to respond to stimulation. 



4. That the lethal dose for rabbits lies between 9-18 and 14-6G milligr. of V^O, 

 per kilogr. of rabbit. 



