Febkuaky 24, 1899.] 



SCIENCE. 



289 



gave the results of his investigations on the 

 tissues of the higher animals as to their 

 power of combining iodide intramolecularly. 

 After administering potassium iodine to 

 fowls and analj'zing during ten weeks the 

 eggs and later the tissues, he concludes that 

 the power of combining iodine in the organ- 

 ism belongs only to certain keratins, such as 

 that of the hair, to certain proteids, such as 

 that of the thja-oid gland, and to certain 

 fats. Professor Wesley Mills (McGill) spoke 

 of the ' Correlation of the functional and 

 anatomical development of the cerebrum.' 

 Professor Chittenden reported progress in 

 the investigation of the properties of the 

 edible and poisonous fungi which was un- 

 dertaken by a committee of the Society ap- 

 pointed for this purpose two years ago. 



At the afternoon session on Friday, Pro- 

 fessor G. Carl Huber presented ' A note on 

 the sensory nerve-endings in the extrinsic 

 eye-muscles of the rabbit— atypical motor 

 endings of Retzius. The author has re- 

 peatedly observed these nerve-endings and 

 gave reasons for believing them to be sen- 

 sory and not motor. In the absence of 

 Professor L. B. Mendel (Yale), a paper by 

 him, on ' The paths of absorption from the 

 peritoneal cavity,' was read by the Presi- 

 dent. In a number of experiments upon 

 absorption it was observed that the solution 

 employed appeared in the urine consider- 

 ably earlier than in the lymph. The author 

 is inclined to the blood-vessel theory of 

 absorption. Drs. P. A. Levene and I. 

 Levin (New York), made a preliminary 

 communication on the absorption of the 

 proteids. Because of their easy identifica- 

 tion iodoproteids were studied, being in- 

 jected into a loop of the intestine and later 

 sought for in the lymph. The results were 

 negative and in so far tend to confirm the 

 accepted theory of absorption by the blood 

 system. By invitation Professor E. 0. Jor- 

 dan (Chicago) gave the results of experi- 

 ments upon ' The production of fluorescent 



pigment by bacteria.' The presence of 

 both phosphorus and sulphur is essential to 

 the formation of this pigment. The rela- 

 tive fluorescigenic values of a variety of 

 chemical bodies were studied. The pres- 

 ence of acid and diffuse daylight are un- 

 favorable to pigment production. Profes- 

 sor C. F. Hodge described for Mr. H. H. 

 Goddard a new brain microtome which is 

 constructed on two new pi'inciples : the 

 knife, which is stationary, is level in order 

 to carry liquid in which the section floats, 

 and the brain is moved against the knife. 

 By invitation Dr. L. J. J. Muskens (New 

 York) exhibited an instrument for meas- 

 uring muscular tonicity in man. 



In addition to the above papers, a num- 

 ber of others were read by title. The fol- 

 lowing were elected members of the Society : 

 Professor W. O. Atwater (Wesleyan), Pro- 

 fessor S. P. Budgett (Washington), Dr. A. 

 M. Cleghorn (Harvard), Dr. W. J. Gies 

 (Columbia), Professor W. S. Hall (North- 

 western), Dr. Walter Jones (Johns Hop- 

 kins), Professor E. O. Jordan (Chicago), 

 Dr. A. P. Mathews (Tufts), Professor B. 

 Moore (Yale), Dr. C. C. Stewart (Colum- 

 bia) and Professor F. F. Westbrook (Min- 

 nesota). There were elected as members 

 of the Council for 1898-'99 : Professors 

 Chittenden, Howell, Lee, Lombard and 

 Porter. The details of the establishment of 

 the American Journal of Physiolo(/y, under the 

 auspices of the Society, were presented and 

 made a part of the records. The Journal, 

 now in its second volume, has abundantly 

 justified its existence. 



Feedeeic S. Lee, 



Seci-etary. 



SCIENTIFIC BOOKS. 

 The Discharge of Electricity through Gases. By 



J. J. Thomson. New York, Charles Scrib- 



ner's Sons. 1898. Small 8vo. Pp. 203. 



Price, $1.00. 



This volume contains, in modified form, the 

 four lectures delivered by Professor Thomson 



