SCIENCE. 



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



now produces a rotation of the eye in- 

 wards due, according to Prof. Sherring- 

 ton, to an inhibition of the activity of the 

 nucleus of the 6th nerve. Stimulation of 

 the occipital lobe was without effect. 



Dr. A. Waller (London) showed photo- 

 graphic records of the retinal currents pro- 

 duced by stimulations by light. 



Discussion by Prof. Kiihne. 



Dr. Axenfeld (Perugia) showed an ex- 

 periment on binocular color contrast. 

 If, by means of a colored glass before one 

 eye, one of the two crossed transparent 

 double images of an opaque object is made 

 to appear colored, the other image appears 

 of the complementary color. 



Dr. C. Phisalix (Paris) had found that 

 the blood of the Salamander not only has 

 the power to give immunity against the 

 poison of this animal, but renders frogs and 

 guinea pigs, into which it is injected, able, 

 to withstand much larger doses of curare 

 than they otherwise can. 



Dr. Z. Treves (Turin) communicated ex- 

 periments, the graphic records of which 

 he showed, demonstrating that different 

 impulses inhibitory of inspiration as well as 

 expiration, pass along the vagi nerves. 

 Their division, after the prevention of all 

 active expiration bj^ section of the cord, can 

 produce more or less marked inspiratory 

 tetanus, which is cut short by weak faradi- 

 sation of the central ends. 



Discussion by Dr. Boruttau and Prof. 

 Herzen. 



Prof. A. Mosso (Turin) gave the results 

 of his experiments on the influence of rare- 

 fied air on man made on the summit of 

 Monte Rosa (4,600 meters above sea-level). 

 In absolute rest and especiallj' during sleep 

 the respiratory gaseous interchange is les- 

 sened, and even standstill of respiration 

 may occur. This must be due to the les- 

 sening of the amount of carbonic acid in the 

 blood, as must also be the accompanjang 

 quickening of rate of heartbeat. To this 



condition of lessened carbonic acid in the 

 blood Prof. Mosso gave the name of Akap- 

 nia. He described also experiments made 

 on apes in rarefied oxygen, the pressure of 

 which was, however, greater than the par- 

 tial pressure of oxygen in air. In spite of 

 this the apes showed symptoms analogous 

 to those of mountain sickness. These are 

 supposed to be due both to Akapnia 

 and the direct influence of lessened atmos- 

 pheric pressure on the nervous system. 



Discussion bj^ Prof. Zuntz. 



Prof. E". Zuntz (Berlin) gave the results 

 of experiments made by Dr. Schumburg 

 and himself, as well as those made by Dr. 

 Loewj' on the functions of respiration and 

 circulation in rarefied air. He laid stress 

 on individual differences of effects observed, 

 and pointed out that moderate regular 

 movement may put an end to dangerous 

 symptoms, while, as is well known, great 

 muscular exertion favors the onset of 

 mountain sickness. 



At a business meeting on the morning of 

 September 13 it was decided to hold the 

 next meeting of the Congress at Cambridge, 

 in the first week of September, 1898, with 

 Prof. Michael Foster as President. Profs. 

 Sherrington (Liverpool), E. Fredericq 

 (Liege) and Griitzner (Tiibingeu) were 

 elected General Secretaries. 



The admission of members to future con- 

 gresses, the bibliography of physiological 

 literature, the universal use of the metric 

 system by physiologists were discussed, and 

 other questions were relegated to a com- 

 mittee. 



During the Congress week there was an in- 

 teresting exhibition of physiological appara- 

 tus and preparations by Profs. Eiuthoven, 

 Kahlbaum, Krouecker, Mosso, Tschirch 

 and Dr. Cowl ; and by the following 

 mechanicians: Albrecht (Tiibingen); Cas- 

 tagna (Vienna); Diederichs (Gottingen); 

 Geissler (Bonn); Hennig (Erlangen); Petz- 

 old (Leipzig); Pfister (Berne); Eunne 



