March 18, 1904.] 



SCIENCE. 



46J 



These data show but slight changes in the 

 molecular concentration of the sera, and such 

 changes as have occurred occasion an increase 

 in the electrical conductivity as well as in the 

 depression of the freezing-point, showing that 

 dissociable bodies have been produced. The 

 experiments, therefore, fail to explain the high 

 molecular concentration of the serous fluid 

 from the chest; but it is possible that further 

 experimentation in this direction will be more 

 successful. 

 An Experimental Study of the Eosinophile 



Cells during Infection with an Animal 



Parasite — Trichina spiralis: Eugene L. 



Opie. (Presented by James Ewing.) 



The administration of Trichina spiralis to 

 the guinea-pig causes an increase of the 

 eosinophile leucocytes in the blood, compara- 

 ble to that which accompanies human infec- 

 tion. There is no constant alteration of the 

 number of these cells until the end of the 

 second week after infection, when their rela- 

 tive and absolute number rapidly increases and 

 reaches a maximum at the end of the third 

 week. At this time embryonic trichinae are 

 in process of transmission from the intestinal 

 mucosa by way of the lymphatic vessels and 

 the blood through the lungs to the vascular 

 system. 



Eosinophile cells accumulate in the mesen- 

 teric lymph glands and in the lungs, and form 

 foci which resemble small abscesses in which 

 polynuclear leucocytes are replaced by eosino- 

 phile cells. These cells are provided with 

 polymorphous nuclei and do not differ from 

 the eosinophile leucocytes of the circulating 

 blood. Accumulation of the eosinophile cells 

 in the mesenteric lymph glands and in the 

 lungs is explained by the transmission of the 

 embryonic parasites through these organs. 



Increase of eosinophile cells in the blood 

 and in other organs is accompanied by char- 

 acteristic changes in the bone marrow. The 

 fat is diminished in amount and cellular ele- 

 ments replace it. Cells with eosinophile 

 granulation are present in immense number 

 and particularly numerous are the eosinophile 

 myelocytes, cells peculiar to the bone marrow. 

 Eosinophile cells undergoing mitotic division 

 are more numerous than usual. 



The number of eosinophile leucocytes in the 

 blood always diminishes before death, so that 

 the proportion is usually less than one per 

 cent. Infection with a very large number of 

 trichinae causes a rapid diminution of the 

 number of eosinophile leucocytes and is quick- 

 ly fatal. The eosinophile cells of the bone 

 marrow exhibit degenerative changes of which 

 nuclear fragmentation is most characteristic. 

 Similar changes may affect the eosinophile 

 cells of the intestinal mucosa and of the 

 mesenteric lymph glands. Mild infection 

 stimulates the eosinophile cells to multiplica- 

 tion, but severe infection causes their destruc- 

 tion. 



Subcortical Expressive Reflexes and their 

 Spinal Pathways: E. S. Woodworth. 

 Dr. Woodworth reported on some experi- 

 ments done in collaboration with Professor 

 Sherrington in the latter's laboratory. It was 

 shown that in a recently decerebrated cat 

 powerful sensory stimuli evoked reactions such 

 as in a normal animal would be expressive of 

 pain, anger and other similar emotions. Such 

 reactions are, therefore, primarily subcortical 

 reflexes and not dependent on the organ of 

 consciousness. The ' ether cry ' also appeared 

 in decerebrate animals. The sensory spinal 

 pathway, by which these signs of pain were 

 aroused, was found by experiments in which 

 partial cross-sections of the cord were made, 

 to run, not in the posterior, but in the lateral 

 columns. The pain pathway from either side 

 of the body runs up both halves of the cord, 

 but more largely up the opposite half. 



An Experimental Study of the Cause of 



Shoch: W. H. Howell. (Presented by S. 



J. Meltzer.) 



Professor Howell's experiments were made 

 upon dogs anaesthetized with morphia and 

 ether, and brought into a condition of shock 

 by operations of various kinds. Blood-pres- 

 sure records were obtained in the usual way 

 during the experiment. The following general 

 conclusions were reached: 



1. The most important and dangerous fea- 

 ture of severe shock is a long-continued, prac- 

 tically permanent fall in blood pressure to 

 about 20^0 mm. of Hg. This condition is 



