568 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXIX. No. 1007 



controllable eroticism have an hereditary behavior 

 that indicates that they are each due to a single 

 positive determiner which may be regarded as in- 

 terfering with the inhibitory mechanism. With 

 a slightly less certainty marked cases of "Wander- 

 lust' ' appear to be inherited as if sex-linked. Il- 

 lustrated by diagrams and lantern slides. 



The Causes of the Clotting of Blood: W. H. 



Howell. 



In circulating blood or lymph a small amount 

 of prothrombin is contained in solution in the 

 plasma. This prothrombin is prevented from re- 

 acting with the calcium to form thrombin by the 

 presence of an adequate amount of autithrombin, 

 or, if any thrombin is formed, its coagulating ef- 

 fect on fibrinogen is prevented by the antithrombin. 

 The normal fluidity of the circulating blood is de- 

 pendent, therefore, upon the presence and action 

 of the antithrombin. In blood-platelets and in 

 leucocytes there is contained a supply of thrombo- 

 plastio material (phosphatid-compound) and also of 

 prothrombin. On the shedding of blood the disin- 

 tegration of the platelets and, to a lesser extent, 

 of the leucocytes liberates thromboplastin and 

 prothrombin. The former neutralizes the anti- 

 thrombin, the latter, together with the prothrom- 

 bin already present in the plasma, is changed to 

 thrombin by the action of the calcium. Cell-free 

 plasmas may be clotted by the addition of throm- 

 boplastin (kephalin) to neutralize the anti- 

 thrombin. 



The Luminescence of Kunzite: Edward L. Nichols 



AND Horace Leonard Howes. 

 The Prompt Distribution of Convulsants in Car- 



diectomized Frogs deprived of their Lymph 



Hearts: S. J. Meltzer. 



Several years ago the writer reported that in 

 frogs from which the heart was removed, an injec- 

 tion of strychnin, morphin or acid fuchsin brought 

 on convulsions. For the two latter substances the 

 effect was more prompt and rapid than in animals 

 with normal circulation. The conclusions seemed 

 to be inevitable that the distribution of these sub- 

 stances must take place by some mechanism other 

 than the circulatory apparatus. Two years ago J. 

 J. Abel stated that the success of the experiment 

 depends upon the normal activity of the two an- 

 terior lymph hearts ; when these are destroyed no 

 convulsions can take place. In recent experiments 

 carried out by Githens, of the Rockefeller Insti- 

 tute, Dr. Joseph, of the University of St. Louis, 

 and by myself in a long series of experiments the 

 lymph hearts were destroyed and after a day or 



two, when the animals recovered, the heart was re- 

 moved and the substances injected. The result was 

 as prompt as if the lymph hearts were intact. 

 Furthermore the injections were made this time 

 into the lymph sacs of the thigh and the substances 

 therefore had to travel long distances. Apparently 

 a quite efficient distribution may take place through 

 the connected lymph spaces without the aid of any 

 part of the circulatory apparatus. 



Contributions to the Geology of Bermuda: L. V. 



PiRSSON AND T. WaYLAND VaUGHAN. 



Eecently a deep well, about 1,400 feet deep, has 

 been bored ia Bermuda Island. The samples taken 

 from this well at regular intervals show that there 

 is first penetrated a considerable depth of lime de- 

 posits produced by organic life, then follows, down 

 to about 600 feet, brownish weathered igneous 

 rock, after which black unoxidized lavas and ig- 

 neous material persist to the bottom. The lime de- 

 posits contaia the remains of organisms. The facts 

 disclosed have important bearings on the origin 

 and geological history of the island and on the 

 problem of coral reef formations. The igneous 

 geology is discussed by L. V. Pirsson and the later 

 history and coral reef problem by Dr. Vaughan. 



The lectures founded in memory of the 

 late William Ellery Hale, of Chicago, will be 

 inaugurated by Sir Ernest Rutherford, of the 

 University of Manchester, who will speak in 

 the Auditorium of the National Museum, 

 Washington, D. C, on April 21 and 23, 1914, 

 at 4 P.M. 



The committee in charge has planned a 

 series of such lectures covering several years 

 on the general subject of evolution, which is 

 designed to give a clear and comprehensive 

 outline of the broad features of inorganic and 

 organic evolution in the light of recent re- 

 search. Sir Ernest Rutherford's lectures will 

 deal with the Constitution of Matter and the 

 Evolution of the Elements. Aided by many 

 illustrations, including some of the experi- 

 ments which brought to him the award of the 

 Nobel Prize, Sir Ernest will explain how the 

 discovery of radio-activity and the study of 

 the electron have revolutionized our views on 

 the nature of matter. By these new means of 

 investigation, the chemical elements and the 

 complex compounds which they unite to form 

 may be shown to consist of units of positive 

 and negative electricity. Moreover, aU nega- 



