620 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XL VI. No. 1199 



output . of catalase from this organ with re- 

 sulting decrease in oxidation. In fact it is 

 probable that the cause of anesthesia is to be 

 found in the decrease in the oxidative proc- 

 esses particularly of the nervous system pro- 

 duced presumably by the destruction of the 

 catalase by the anesthetic. The specific action 

 of anesthetics on the nervous system, accord- 

 ing to this hypothesis, is due to the greater 

 solubility of the lipoids or fat-like substances 

 of nervous tissue which facilitates the entrance 

 of the narcotic into the nerve cell and thus 

 exposes the contained catalase more directly to 

 the destructive action of the drug. 



W. E. BURGE 



Physiological Laboratory of the 

 Univebsity of Illinois 



THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF 

 VARIABLE STAR OBSERVERS 



The formal organization meeting of the Ameri- 

 can Association of Variable Star Observers was 

 held at the Harvard College Observatory, Cam- 

 bridge, Mass., on November 10th and was attended 

 by 25 or more members, almost all of whom are 

 active participants in the observation of variable 

 stars. The meeting was called to order by Wm. 

 Tyler Oloott, who for the past six years has acted 

 as secretary of the informal association, and A. B. 

 Burbeek was appointed temporary chairman. A 

 carefully drawn up constitution was read and ac- 

 cepted and then the officers and council members 

 of the association were duly elected. D. B. Pick- 

 ering, of East Orange, N. J., was elected president; 

 H. C. Bancroft, Jr., of West CoUingswood, N. J., 

 vice-president; W. T. Olcott, of Norwich, Conn., 

 secretary, and A. B. Burbeek, of North Abington, 

 Mass., treasurer. The four members of the coun- 

 cil are Professor Anne 8. Young, of Mt. Holyoke 

 College Observatory, J. J. Crane, of Sandwich, 

 Mass., for two years, and Miss H. M. Swartz, of 

 South Norwalk, Conn., and C. T. McAteer, of 

 Pittsburgh, Pa., for one year. 



While waiting for the result of the election to 

 be announced by the tellers, a general discussion of 

 the most suitable size of telescope for the use of 

 the observers was opened up, and later, a discus- 

 sion of plans for the most systematic observation 

 of the 300 or more variable stars under research 

 was also freely indulged in. 



In taking the chair as the first president of the 

 association, Mr. Pickering reviewed, in a few 



words, the past achievements of the Variable Star 

 Observers, and mentioned their aims for the fu- 

 ture. 



Tea was kindly served by the director of the ob- 

 servatory in the afternoon, and then lantern slide 

 exhibits were given, one by Miss A. J. Cannon, 

 showing some of the celestial wonders as revealed 

 in the photographic telescopes, and another by Mr. 

 Leon Campbell, illustrating the progress of the 

 study of the star SS Cygni and what attempts are 

 being made to fathom its seemingly irregular vari- 

 ations, both in light and period. 



While an inspection of the work of the observ- 

 atory was being made, the more experienced mem- 

 bers observed this same SS Cygni in the comfort- 

 able 12-inch Polar Telescope, all under like condi- 

 tions, and the result of the estimates of the 17 

 observers was that the star was then of the mag- 

 nitude 11.21, with a probable error of 0.12 magni- 

 tude. 



At a short meeting of the council, three noted 

 variable star observers were elected to honorary 

 membership. Professor E. C. Pickering, director 

 of the Harvard Observatory; Eev. J. G. Hagen, 

 director of the Vatican Observatory, Borne, and 

 Professor J. A. Parkhurst, of the Terkes Observa- 

 tory. Professor Pickering was also elected as the 

 first patron of the association. 



The council also elected nine members to life 

 membership and the total membership therefore 

 numbers 84, of which 72 are active; 9, life, and 3 

 are honorary members, with 1 patron. 



A sumptuous banquet was served in Boston that 

 evening at which 20 members and four guests were 

 present. Interesting after dinner speeches were 

 made by Professors Pickering and Bailey, and Miss 

 Cannon and Mr. Olcott, Mr. Campbell acting as 

 toastniaster. 



The meeting was considered the climax of all 

 those yet held and marks the successful launching 

 of a fuU-fledged association in America for the 

 regular observation of variable stars by a group 

 of amateur and professional astronomers, which has 

 been doing excellent work along this line for some 

 years past, and which bids fair to be even more 

 useful to science in the near future. 



Several committees were appointed by the presi- 

 dent to consider the matter of telescopes, charts 

 and schemes of work, and it was voted by the 

 council to hold the spring meeting at East Orange, 

 N. J., on May 6, 1918, at the invitation of Presi- 

 dent Pickering. 



For those members who remained in Boston 

 until the next day, an excursion was arranged to 



