768 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XXIV. No. 624. 



thymin was recovered in large proportion 

 from the urine. It was impossible to detect 

 thymin in the urine after feeding nuclein ot 

 nucleic acid. 



On the Fractioning of Agglutinins and Anti- 

 toxin: K. B. Gibson and K K. Collins. 

 The results of the work thus far accom- 

 plished have demonstrated the untrustworthi- 

 ness of a differentiation of the antibodies into 

 those contained in euglobulin and those in 

 pseudoglobulin, a finding in accord with the 

 recent criticisms of salt fractionation by 

 Haslam, and by Osborne and Harris. 



No evidence has been found in these experi- 

 ments to show that the agglutinins developed 

 in rabbit, goat or horse serum can be either 

 euglobulin or pseudoglobulin, or that these 

 antibodies can be separated from one another 

 by ammonium sulfate fractionation. 



Further Ohservations of the Effects of Ions on 



the Activity of Enzymes: William N. Berg 



and William J. Gies. 



The authors have found that the sequence 

 of zymolysis in both velocity and extent in 

 given groups of equivalent (percentage, molec- 

 ular, normal, dissociated) acid or basic solu- 

 tions varies considerably with the nature of 

 the protein. This fact makes it impossible 

 accurately to formulate statements regarding 

 various phases of peptolysis or tryptolysis 

 without specifying the particular protein in- 

 volved in the process; it also renders doubtful 

 various general conclusions of common ac- 

 ceptance pertaining to digestion that have 

 been derived, in one research or another, from 

 the use of a single protein. A study of the 

 peptolysis of many proteins in a given series 

 of acid solutions has therefore been under- 

 taken, and an effort will be made to extend 

 the observations to the tryptolysis of the same 

 proteins in a similar series of basic solutions. 



The speed and degree of both peptolysis and 

 tryptolysis are resultants of conflicting in- 

 fluences. In the case of peptolysis, for 

 example, the hydrogen ions in a given acid 

 solution are always essential and positive 

 factors, whereas, the accompanying anions or 

 molecules (perhaps both) appear to be, as a 

 rule, non-essential and inhibitory factors. 



That acid molecules are not necessarily in- 

 hibitory in peptolysis, however, was shown in 

 a number of experiments with acetic acid, 

 which neither favored nor interfered with 

 peptic digestion matei'ially when present in 

 different amounts in solutions containing con- 

 stant proportions of hydrochloric acid. 



William J. Gies, 



Secretary. 



THE philosophical SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON. 



The 620th meeting was held on October 13, 

 1906, President Abbe in the chair. 



The evening was devoted to the subject of 

 earthquakes. 



Mr. C. F. Marvin, of the Weather Bureau, 

 said the present year has been noteworthy 

 because already 58 shocks have been recorded, 

 while there were only 23 in the previous three 

 years. He exhibited the Washington record 

 of the San Francisco shock, showing a dura- 

 tion of about four hours, for the horizontal 

 motion, while near the seat of the disturbance 

 the duration was only a few minutes. The 

 general nature and peculiarities of such rec- 

 ords and the formulae based on them by Jap- 

 anese seismologists were presented briefly. 



Mr. F. B. Littell spoke on * Spirit-level 

 Disturbances at the Naval Observatory due 

 to the Chilean Earthquake.' While observing 

 with the alt-azimuth instrument, which has 

 two levels in the north and south plane, sensi- 

 tive to 0.1'' or 0.2", he observed oscillations 

 amounting to 2" and having a period of 18 

 seconds; these were reduced to 1" after five 

 minutes and to J" after about twenty minutes. 

 The time was 7:49. 



A large num.ber of lantern views taken in 

 and near San Francisco by Mr. G. K. Gilbert 

 were then exhibited and briefly explained by 

 Mr. Nutting. 



Informally Mr. Press spoke of some experi- 

 ments made with large hailstones; som.e on 

 cracking appeared to have a bubble of air, 

 but when stones of similar appearance were 

 dissolved in water no bubbles rose. The presi- 

 dent stated that this was the general experi- 

 ence except for one observer who wrote many 

 years ago. 



The 621st meeting was held on October 27, 



