Apeil 3, 1914] 



SCIENCE 



513 



called by the same names in animal physiol- 

 ogy: additive effects; influence of load, tem- 

 perature and intensity of stimulus; fatigue; 

 staircase response (quite like that of muscle) ; 

 tetanization ; death spasm (it looks as though 

 a means were here offered for determining 

 when death of a tissue ensues) ; influence of 

 gases on excitability; effect of intensity of 

 stimulus, of fatigue and of temperature on 

 latent period; effect of various conditions on 

 velocity of transmitted impulse; positive and 

 negative galvanometric and turgidity responses 

 (each stimulus gives rise to both, but the 

 weaker positive — erectile — response is quickly 

 followed and masked by the stronger nega- 

 tive — " contractile " — one) ; polar effects, etc. 

 Polar effects are very thoroughly investigated. 

 " With feeble current the kathode excites at 

 make and not at break. The anode excites at 

 neither make nor breal^," etc. The variation 

 of polar reaction under tissue modification, 

 as with age, etc., is studied, with important 

 results. In the later chapters of the book 

 Biophytum and Desmodium gyrans are em- 

 ployed in studying multiple and automatic 

 (autonomic) responses. The pulsations of 

 Desmodium leaves are thoroughly investi- 



The first two sentences of the last para- 

 graph of Bose's book sum up the general out- 

 come of his studies as well as can be thus 

 briefly done : " In surveying the response of 

 living tissues we find that there is hardly any 

 phenomenon of irritability observed in the 

 animal which is not also found in the plant. 

 The various manifestations of irritability in 

 the plant have been shown to be identical 

 with those in the animal." 



B. E. Livingston 



Johns Hopkins University 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 



annual convention op the UTAH ACADEMY OP 

 SCIENCES 



The seventh annual convention of the Utah 

 Academy of Sciences was held at Salt Lake City, 

 December 26 and 27, 1913, in the chemistry lec- 

 ture room of the University of Utah. 



In all, three sessions were held — the first be- 



ginning at 8 o 'clock Friday evening, the second at 

 9:30 o'clock Saturday morning, and the closing 

 session at 2 o 'clock Saturday afternoon. 



From the standpoint of business transacted, 

 this convention of the academy will rank as one 

 of the most important in its history. A com- 

 mittee was appointed to take steps toward the 

 publication of a bi-monthly magazine under the 

 auspices of the academy. Another committee was 

 appointed to look after the entertainment of dis- 

 tinguished scientists who may be visiting in Salt 

 Lake City, and to assist them should they desire 

 to investigate features of the region of scientific 

 interest in their especial lines. 



Professor C. W. Porter, of the Utah Agricul- 

 tural College, was elected to fellowship. Miss 

 Florence Knox, Professor Christian D. Steiner, 

 Professor Jakob Bolin, Professor Franklin O. 

 Smith, Dr. Helen I. Mattill, all of the University 

 of Utah; Dr. Fred W. Taylor and Mrs. Amelia 

 E. Taylor, of Prove; Willard E. Harwood and N. 

 W. Cummings, of Salt Lake City; Professor 

 George R. Hni, Utah Agricultural College, Logan, 

 and H. E. Hagan, Logan, were elected to mem- 

 bership. 



The constitution was amended to provide for a 

 permanent secretary-treasurer. 



The following are the officers for the ensuing 

 year: 



President — Professor Marcus E. Jones, Salt 

 Lake City. 



First Vice-president — Dr. Harvey Fletcher, 



B. Y. U., Provo. 

 Second Vice-president — Dr. C. N. Jensen, B. Y. 



C, Logan. 



Permanent Secretary-treasurer — A. O. Garrett 

 High School, Salt Lake City. 



Councillors-at-large — Dr. A. A. Knowlton, U. U., 

 Salt Lake City; Dr. Joseph Peterson, U. U., Salt 

 Lake City, and Dr. F. L. West, U. A. C, Logan, 



The following papers were read at the annual 

 convention : 



' ' The Question of Valency in Gaseous loniza 

 tion, " by Dr. Harvey Fletcher, B. Y. U., Provo. 



"Community Life among Insects" (the presi- 

 dential address), by Dr. E. G. Titus, U. A. 0. 

 Logan. 



' ' Some Metabolic Effects of Bathing in Great 

 Salt Lake," by Dr. Helen I. and Dr. H. A. Mat 

 till, U. U., Salt Lake City. 



' ' Corn under Irrigation, ' ' by Dr. F. S. Harris 

 U. A. C, Logan. 



"Practical Experiments with Eoot-borers, " by 



