Februaky 28, 1902.] 



SCIENCE. 



345 



The Chemical Analysis of the Brain: Dr. 



W. Koch, University of Chicago. 



This paper was a preliminary report on 

 the chemical analysis of nervous tissues, in- 

 cluding methods for preparing cerebrin, 

 cephalin and lecithin, in sufficient quantity 

 for subsequent work. 



The Study of Metabolism in a Case of Lym- 

 phatic Leukmmia: Dr. YandeUj Hen- 

 DERSONj Yale. 



In a typical case of lymphatic leukiemia, 

 with the white corpuscles at 300,000 and 

 the red corpuscles only 2,500,000, there was 

 no increase in the excretion of nuclein de- 

 composition products (uric acid and P^ - 

 Oj) . The pathological condition, therefore, 

 seems to be due, not to an increased nuclein 

 metabolism, in general, but to a diminished 

 katabolism. As nearly all the leukocytes 

 are lymphocytes, this seems to be due to an 

 arrest in their development— f e., they are 

 not transformed, as normally, into other 

 forms of white ceUs. 



The Mode of Action of Certain Substances 

 on the Colored Blood Corpuscles, with 

 Special Reference to the Relation be- 

 tween So-called Vital Processes and the 

 Physico-Chemical Structure of the Cells : 

 Professor G. N. Stewart, Western Re- 

 serve University. 

 On the Surface Action of Metals: Professor 

 F. G. Novy, University of Michigan. 

 The author has studied with Professor 

 Freer the conditions favoring the forma- 

 tion of organic peroxides. In Nef 's method 

 of preparing benzoyl acetyl peroxide, the 

 reagents, benzaldehyde and acetic anliy- 

 dride, are mixed with sand and exposed in 

 a thin layer to the action of air, \vith the 

 result that auto-oxidation takes place, and 

 the peroxide is formed. That this change 

 is one of surface action was demonstrated , 

 in various ways. If a strip of paper is in- 

 troduced into the mixture, the yield of 

 peroxide is increased by more than 200 per 



cent. Strips of cloth and various metals 

 were tested in like manner, and gave sim- 

 ilar results, showing that the rate of forma- 

 tion of this peroxide depends on surface 

 action, and varies within wide limits with 

 the kind of surface employed. 



Demonstrations of apparatus for teach- 

 ing and for research were made by Pro- 

 fessors W. P. Lombard, University of 

 Michigan; W. T. Porter, liarvard; "W. S. 

 HaU, Northwestern University; Graham 

 Lusk, New York University and Bellevue 

 Hospital Medical School ; and G. P. Dreyer, 

 University of Illinois. 



Frederic S. Lee. 



SCIENTIFIC BOOKS. 

 TWO NEW WORKS ON MOSQUITOES. 



A Monograph of the Culicidw, or Mosquitoes, 

 mainly compiled from the collections at the 

 British Museum from varioys parts of the 

 world, in connection with the investigation 

 into the cause of malaria conducted by the 

 Colonial Office and the Eoyal Society. By 

 Fred V. Theobald, M.A., F.E.S., London. 

 Printed by order of the Trustees of the Brit- 

 ish Museum. 1901. 3 vols. Pp. 424, 391, 

 pi. 3Y + 5, text figures 318. 



Mosquito Brigades and How to Organize 

 Them. By Eonald Boss, P.E.C.S., D.P.H., 

 F.E.S. London, Geo. Philip & Son. 1902. 

 The literature of mosquitoes is becoming 

 enormous. The number of scientific papers 

 published about these insects in the last three 

 years has been very great and is increasing al- 

 most daily. It is safe to say, however, that two 

 books which will be greeted with the greatest 

 pleasure by thousands of people who have be- 

 come interested in the mosquito question are 

 those the titles of which have just been given. 

 When the Eoyal Society, at the request of 

 the Eight Honorable Joseph Chamberlain, ap- 

 pointed a committee to cooperate with the 

 officials of the Colonial Office in the investiga- 

 tion of the causes of malaria and the possibil- 

 ity of controlling that scourge of tropical 

 lands, one of the first steps of the committee 

 was to secure the services of Mr. F. V. Theo- 



