504 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. LI. No. 1325 



We can say, however, in view of the results 

 of work initiated by Dr. A. P. Mathews, that 

 the vital processes in nervous tissue become 

 retarded. This is indicated by the lowered 

 carbon dioxide production exhibited by a 

 nerve exposed to cocaine. Niwa'-^ (191S) 

 states that "there is a close relationship be- 

 tween the rate of nerve metabolism and the 

 state of excitability of the nerve" and that 

 " anesthesia in general is probably brought 

 about by interference with the tissue metab- 

 olism." This does not differ gi-eatly from 

 Yerworn's theory of anesthetic action. 



While practise in this case, pending the 

 perfection of theory, proceeds with a toler- 

 able degree of satisfaction, we still await the 

 demonstration of the ideal local anesthetic. 

 This form of anesthesia, however, is extend- 

 ing its usefulness through an ever widening 

 field. Few are the types of major operations 

 which can not now be successfully conducted 

 under its sole employment, always provided 

 that numerous external conditions are satis- 

 fied. Among the advantages ascribed to it 

 when thoroughness of operative procedure is 

 not thereby sacrificed are its high degree of 

 safety and rapidity of induction, the exclu- 

 sion of shock and often of after-pain, the nec- 

 essity for fewer assistants, the shortening of 

 convalescence, and the absence of post-anes- 

 thetic complications. An additional factor of 

 importance is the better mental attitude with 

 which many patients approach such a pro- 

 cedure rather than an operation involving the 

 surrender of consciousness. Some enthusiasts 

 go so far as to say that many an operation 

 assumes the character of a social rather than 

 a surgical occasion, the patient perhaps 

 smoking throughout and enjoying a good 

 meal directly thereafter. 



While we are not so advanced that serious 

 ceases are made thus attractive, the day of ideal 

 surgery will doubtless be hastened by the re- 

 placement of older for better local anesthetics. 

 Henry G. Baeboue 



Dbpaetment op Phakmacologt, 

 Yale University School op Medicine 



19 Niwa, ShuicUi, Jour. Pharm. and Exp. Therap., 

 1919, 12, 323. 



PHENOMENA IN THE ULTRA-VIOLET 

 SPECTRUM, INCLUDING X-RAYS 



At the recent St. Louis meeting of Section 

 B, of the American Association for the Ad- 

 vancement of Science, there was held a sym- 

 posium devoted to a comparative discussion 

 of the phenomena involved in the ultra-violet 

 " light " and " X-ray " spectra. The follow- 

 ing abstracts of the papers have been pre- 

 pared by the authors: 



A. Quantum Emission Phenomena — Radiation, 

 by David L. Webster, Massachusetts Insti- 

 tute of Technology. 



This paper contained a review of the laws 

 of excitation of radiation by electron impact 

 in the best known cases in X-rays and light, 

 in which it appeared that the most essential 

 difference is the existence in light of the so- 

 called " single-line spectrum " which is un- 

 known in X-rays. The phenomena are ex- 

 plainable on any theory of stable electron 

 positions, such as the Bohr theory, if we 

 assume: (1) that in the normal atom all 

 positions involved in X-ray production are 

 full (Kossel), and (2) all positions above the 

 one corresponding to the series term 1.5S are 

 empty (Van der Bijl). 



Such theories are very unsatisfactory for 

 absorption phenomena, especially since absorp- 

 tion is a continuous process but results in the 

 production of photoelectrons, each with an ab- 

 sorbing oscillator and a gradual accumula- 

 tion up to the value required for the photo- 

 electron. If energy is thus stored it seems 

 probable that it would be available to help in 

 the production of X-rays or light by impact, 

 and to produce other effects to be expected 

 from it. But no such evidence of it can be 

 found. The storage hypothesis is made only 

 because it is demanded by the law of the con- 

 servation of energy. But this law has been 

 observed only statistically, and the best way 

 to reconcile these phenomena of electron im- 

 pact with other radiation phenomena seems to 

 be to assume that the law holds only statistic- 

 ally and does not apply to every oscillator at 

 every instant. 



