Apbil 18, 1919] 



SCIENCE 



385 



with this organism. It is possible, however, 

 that the basicity of aniline may be favorable; 

 larvffi anesthetized with alcohols showed some 

 degree of protection, but less marked than 

 with aniline. The after-treatment of poisoned 

 larvae with aniline solutions proved ineffective. 



Treatment with basic substances appears to 

 us to offer the most promising means of coun- 

 teracting the action of this poison. A sub- 

 stance whose physical properties, solubilities, 

 and rate of hydrolysis resemble those of 

 " mustard," but which yields on hydrolysis a 

 base, e. g., ammonia, instead of an acid, 

 ought theoretically to counteract the action of 

 " mustard '' within the cell. Such a compound 

 could be introduced into the lungs in the form 

 of a spray, or applied to the skin in the usual 

 manner. High lipoid-solubility or surface- 

 activity, favoring rapid penetration of cells, 

 would be essential in such a substance. We 

 recommend a systematic search for an organic 

 compound having these properties. Physio- 

 logical experimentation with such a compound, 

 if it is obtainable, should in our opinion yield 

 important results. 



By the use of intravitam staining, and by 

 the injection of aqueous " mustard " solution 

 directly into the body of the starfish egg, 

 strong evidence was afforded that free acid is 

 liberated within the cell. 



The intravitam stain used was neutral red. 

 Eggs were treated with solutions of "mustard" 

 oil (in sea-water) sufficiently concentrated to 

 cause subsequent abnormal development, and 

 were then transferred to an extremely dilute 

 solution of neutral red in sea-water. Normal 

 eggs were simultaneously treated with the 

 neutral red solution. For a period of at least 

 half an hour controlled and treated eggs were 

 colored to about the same degree. The treated 

 eggs later became progressively more intensely 

 stained, so that in an hour after the treatment 

 the greater intensity in color of the " gassed " 

 eggs over that of the control was easily recog- 

 nizable. 



The effect of " mustard " and its decomposi- 

 tion-products on the cell-interior was tested 

 by the introduction of a drop of the gas solu- 

 tion into the body of the fertilized egg by 



means of a micro-pipette. The following re- 

 sults were obtained: 



1. Eggs injected with distilled water quickly 

 recover and continue their normal develop- 

 ment. 



2. Eggs injected with a freslJy made sat- 

 urated aqueous solution of "mustard gas" 

 show no immediate injurious effects but sub- 

 sequently are inhibited in their development. 



3. Eggs injected with a saturated solution 

 which has been allowed to stand at room 

 temperature for over two hours imdergo 

 cytolysis, the immediate destructive effect be- 

 ing more marked than that following the in- 

 jection of the undecomposed solution. 



4. Eggs injected with an aqueous solution 

 of hydrochloric acid of the same strength as 

 the decomposed gas solution exhibit approxi- 

 mately the same effect, viz., a more or less 

 extended cytolysis. 



These experiments lend substantial support 

 to the view, previously expressed by Marshall 

 and Smith, that mustard gas, in virtue of its 

 lipoid-solubility, penetrates rapidly into the 

 cell-interior where it liberates hydrocliloric 

 acid which, in the free state, is relatively in- 

 capable of penetrating the cell. 



R. S. LiLLIE, 



G. H. A. Clowes, 

 E. Chambers 

 The Marine Biological Laboratory, 

 Wood's Hole, Mass. 



SPECIAL ARTICLES 

 ON HERSCHELL'S FRINGES 



Herschell^s fringes, as produced by the 

 familiar apparatus consisting of a right- 

 angled prism reposing with its broad face on 

 a plate of obsidian, present the well-known 

 group of achromatic fringes running parallel 

 to the arc or limit of total reflection. Ob- 

 servation is made in a direction normal to the 

 edge of the prism. 



It occurred to me that the phenomenon could 

 be made much more striking and of wider 

 scope, if a long 60 'prism were used and ob- 

 servation made in a plane of symmetry parallel 

 to the edge of the prism. In the interest of 

 variety, moreover, it is preferable not to em- 



