1898 ] BRIEFER ARTICLES 57 
diffuse more rapidly into the passive tissue than the anions, and the 
active tissue will remain negatively charged. 
At no time since the period immediately following the discovery of 
the law of conservation of energy has the outlook for the progress of 
physiology appeared brighter than at present. But in order to reap 
the full benefit of our opportunities we must bear in mind that the 
fundamental problem of physiology is the determination of the consti- 
tution of living matter, and that in order to accomplish our task we 
must make adequate use of comparative physiology as well as physical 
chemistry. Pathology, in particular, will be benefited by such a 
departure.— Jacques Lorn, The University of Chicago. 
APHYLLON LUDOVICIANUM ON AMBROSIA TRIFIDA. 
I HAVE found the Louisiana naked broomrape to be one of the rare” - 
plants in this vicinity ; but when found it has always been attached to 
the roots of the great ragweed. The roots given out by the host, 
which connect the two plants, are at first small, so that it is almost 
‘possible to trace them to their destination. But they steadily 
- Mcrease in size, until they are often as large asa wheat straw by the 
time the parasite has run its course, which is usually about the last of 
September. There is usually only one supply-root, and this is of 
nearly the same size its entire length, and a mat of small haustoria is 
