September 2, 1921] 



SCIENCE 



203 



at points directly in line with the axis, while 

 aside of it the pitch will be undulating. The 

 undulations will reach their maximum ampli- 

 tude at points located in the plane of rota- 

 tion, being of opposite character at any two 

 points symmetrically located with respect to 

 the axis. 



In the terminology of optics, the sound may 

 be said, in the latter case, to have been cir- 

 cularly polarized with respect to the axis A. 



Polarized sound-waves may be of value in 

 acoustic research, for investigations involving 

 the direction of sound. They are also ap- 

 plicable to practical purposes, like fog sig- 

 nalling. The signals may be polarized in such 

 a way as to enable a pilot to determine with 

 ease and certainty, and hy the unaided ear, 

 the direction from which they are coming. A 

 device for this purpose has already been con- 

 structed by the writer and has successfully 

 stood the test, it being possible to locate the 

 source within a " point " of the compass. 



Anders Bull 



Chicago, III., 

 June 27, 1921 



THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY 



{Contimied) 



DIVISION OF CHEMISTRY OF MEDICINAL PRODUCTS 



Charles E. Caspari, chairman. 

 Edgar B. Carter, secretary. 



N -derivatives of arsphenamine. I. Introduction 

 of fatty acids: George W. Raiziss and Joseph 

 L. Gavron. II. Aldehyde addition products: 

 George "W. Raiziss and Abraham C. Blatt. The 

 authors introduced various atomic groupings in 

 arsphenamine and studied the biological properties 

 of the resulting compounds. They observed that 

 the amino groups have a controlling influence upon 

 the toxicity of the drug. Five derivatives of 

 arsphenamine each containing a fatty acid sub- 

 stituent in both amino groups have been prepared. 

 On tie whole they are less toxic than the parent 

 substance. Addition products of arsphenamine and 

 various aldehydes, in which two molecules of the 

 aldehyde are combined with one of arsphenamine, 

 have also been prepared. Some of these have 

 characteristic colors and may prove to serve as a 

 means of identification. The biological study of 

 these compounds is still in progress. One has been 



found less toxic than arsphenamine and also ex- 

 hibits marked trypanocidal properties. 



Some recent observations on protoplasmic stimw- 

 lus: G. H. A. Clowes. It has long been known 

 that the sperm of sea urchins and other marine 

 forms may be stimulated to excessive activity and 

 their fertUization capacity promoted by treatment 

 with extracts and secretions of eggs of the same 

 species. This substance has now been proved to 

 be a volatile, readily oxidized, non-specific, organo 

 substance, resembling the lower alcohols or mer- 

 captans. Similar sperm stimulating and fertiliza- 

 tion promoting results may be obtained by utiliz- 

 ing a large variety of organo substances at dilu- 

 tions of one in a hundred million or more. 



Significance of residue determination as a test 

 for the purity in drugs and chemicals: H. V. Faek. 

 Salts of potassium and sodium are apparently 

 more volatile in the presence of vapors of other 

 metals, making their determination by ignition 

 difficult in such compounds as mercury salts. The 

 results seems to indicate widely different inter- 

 pretations of the ignition test by different chem- 

 ists. A much more accurate definition of the U. S. 

 P. requirement is essential. 



A new use for edible oils in surgery: Chakles 

 Baskerville. Numerous efforts have been made 

 to introduce gaseous anesthetics, as ether vapor, 

 into the lower' bowel until Dr. J. T. Gwathmey, of 

 New York, conceived the idea of utilizing the solu- 

 bility of ether in oil and administering the mixture 

 as an enema. Fundamental factors were estab- 

 lished by the investigations of the author before 

 the proposal was tried with human beings. He de- 

 termined the rates of evaporation of ether from 

 various oils, mainly vegetable, although Russian 

 mineral oil was also used. It was conclusively 

 proven that ether evaporates from its solution in 

 or of various oils suitable for internal use at a 

 definite rate at the temperature of the human 

 body. Nearly 30,000 operations, every one suc- 

 cessful from the patient's point of view, have 

 been performed by using this method. Not a 

 single untoward circumstance has been reported. 

 Vomiting, post-anesthesia nausea and many other 

 uncomfortable accompaniments have been reduced 

 to a minimum. Gwathmey also introduced the 

 oral administration of the oil-ether mixture to 

 produce analgesia during the dressing of wounds. 

 Some surgeons have utilized the method in civilian 

 practise in dressings after operations. 



Further study of saligenin and allied compounds : 



