SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. II. No. 52. 



Discussion by Dr. Arthus and Profs. Fano 

 and Kiihne. 



Dr. A. Jaquet (Basle) discussed the in- 

 fluence of tepid baths on nutrition. In 

 fever the number of red corpuscles in the 

 blood is often considerably diminished. Af- 

 ter a bath of about the temperature 22° R, 

 the red corpuscles usually increase in number 

 to the extent of from 100 up to 900,000 per 

 cubic millimeter. A similar but slighter ef- 

 fect is seen in individuals not suffering from 

 fever. Antipyrin does not act upon the 

 blood. The artificial heating of a rabbit to 

 40° and above decreases the number of red 

 corpuscles in the veins of the ears, but in- 

 creases their number in the liver. Cooling 

 baths would appear, therefore, to improve 

 the tone of the circulation, and thereby bet- 

 ter nutrition. The antipyretic action of 

 baths is of secondary importance. 



Discussion by Prof. Richet. 



Dr. De Rey-Pailhade (Toulouse) demon- 

 strated the formation of sulphuretted hy- 

 drogen in liquids containing sulphur by 

 a yeast infusion. He considers a sub- 

 stance to be present in the latter, which he 

 calls ' Philothion,' and M'hich can produce 

 oxidations and syntheses by the formation 

 and interaction of nascent hydrogen and 

 oxygen . 



Dr. J. V. Uexkiill (Heidelberg) showed 

 a small apparatus for the mechanical 

 stimulation of nerve. 



Dr. L. Asher (Berne) showed a rat 

 holder, and myographic records taken with 

 its help. 



Dr. F. Schenck (Wurzburg) discussed 

 the interpretation of the observation of 

 Dogiel with the dog, rabbit and cat that 

 stimulation of the cervical sympathetic 

 causes, in addition to dilation of the pupil 

 in the same side as the stimulated nerve, 

 contraction of the pupil of the opposite 

 side. Dr. Schenck's experiments with the 

 dog had shown that, if light was prevented 

 from entering the ej'e of the stimulated 



side, the contraction of the pupil of the 

 other eye did not occur, and must have been, 

 therefore, in Dogiel's experiments a con- 

 sensual reflex, due to the increased amount 

 of the light admitted by the dilated pupil. 

 This explanation could not apply to the 

 rabbit, as in this animal the consensual 

 pupillar reflex does not occur, but, corre- 

 spondingly. Dr. Schenck could not here con- 

 flrm Dogiel's original observation. He ex- 

 plained Dogiel's result that stimulation of 

 the central end of one vagus produced con- 

 traction of the pupil of the same side and 

 dilation of the pupil of the opposite side, 

 by a previous section performed for other 

 purposes of the cervical sympathetic of the 

 side stimulated. 



Friday, September 13. Morning demon- 

 strations and papers (Chairmen Prof. Rosen- 

 thal and Mr. Langley). 



Dr. J. B. Leathes (London) discussed 

 the osmotic changes between the blood and 

 tissues. He described the effects of strong 

 solutions of cane sugar and dextrose and of 

 hypo-, iso-, and hypertonic solutions of Na CI 

 on the passage of fluid through the walls of 

 the blood vessels. Dr. Leathes had found 

 the osmotic pressure of the lymph in the 

 thoracic duct to be 1-2 % higher than that of 

 the blood. 



Prof. N. Wedensky (St. Petersburg) 

 showed the following experiments : Stimu- 

 lation of the frog's sciatic nerve with very 

 strong and rapidly repeated shocks soon 

 produced relaxation of its muscle, which, 

 however, became again tetanically con- 

 tracted when the strength of stimulation 

 was reduced. Reduction of the frequency 

 produced the same result. There is, ac- 

 cordingly, for every strength of stimula- 

 tion an optimum frequency, and viee versa. 

 When the muscle during strong stimula- 

 tion of its nerve has become relaxed, direct 

 stimulation of it with moderately strong 

 shocks produces contraction only when the 

 stimulation of the nerve is interrupted. 



