January 19, 1906.] 



SCIENCE. 



Ill 



the. like are, on the other hand, relatively com- 

 mon. ISTunierous examinations of various 

 animals taken in the wild were made by the 

 author, with the same negative result. Ab- 

 normal conditions of life unquestionably in- 

 crease the relative occurrence of new growths. 

 The Cutaneous Excretion of Nitrogenous 

 Material: F. G. Benedict. (Presented by 

 William J. Gies.) 



The author found that the average amount 

 of nitrogen that was eliminated through the 

 skin daily by healthy men at rest was 0.071 

 gram. At hard labor healthy men eliminated 

 through the skin as much as 0.22 gram of 

 nitrogen. The exact nature of the compounds 

 in which the nitrogen was eliminated has not 

 yet been ascertained, but the author thinks it 

 highly probable that urea and ammonium 

 compounds are the leading products. The 

 author alluded to the great significance of 

 these observations in any study of the metab- 

 olism of protein, especially in experiments in 

 which the total amounts of nitrogen in the 

 ingesta and egesta are smaller than normal, 

 since the percentage error is thereby propor- 

 tionally increased. 



The Effects of Intravenous Injections of Solu- 

 tions of Dextrose upon the Viscosity of the 

 Blood: Russell Boeton-Opitz. 

 When small quantities (5 c.c.) of a con- 

 centrated solution of dextrose were injected 

 intravenously, the viscosity of the blood be- 

 came slightly greater. By the administration 

 of large quantities (50-100 c.c.) the viscosity 

 was markedly decreased at first, but reassumed 

 its normal value in the course of about one 

 hour. By producing artificial glycosuria, the 

 viscosity was decidedly increased. In the lat- 

 ter series of experiments the surface of the 

 pancreas was painted with solution of ad- 

 renalin. The specific gravity of the blood 

 pursued in all cases a harmonious course with 

 the viscosity. William J. Gies, 



Secretary. 



THE SOCIETY OF GEOHYDROLOGISTS, WASHINGTON. 



The first regular meeting of the society was 

 held on December 20. 



After the adoption of a constitution, Mr. G. 

 B. Richardson, to whose initiative the organ- 



ization of the society was due, was elected 

 president and Mr. M. L. Fuller, secretary. 



Mr. Fuller spoke on " The Use of the Term 

 ' Artesian ' as Applied to Wells in the United 

 States." From circular letters sent out to 

 geologists, geohydrologists and others working 

 on artesian problems a table was compiled 

 showing preferences as to the use of the term. 

 It was recognized in nearly all the replies that 

 the original application to fiowing wells was 

 on general grounds desirable, but in view of 

 the difiiculties of such an application in field 

 work there was considerable doubt expressed 

 as to the desirability of so restricting its use. 

 The replies were summarized as follows : 



From— Favoring Favoring 



Retention. Abandoning. 



Field men.-. 23 77 



Men combining field and 



teaching experience 50 50 



Teachers with limited field 



experience 71 29 



The feeling in favor of retaining the orig- 

 inal definition was in a general way inversely 

 proportional to the amount of field experience, 

 those dealing with field problems in most in- 

 stances preferring a modified definition. The 

 general sentiment was favorable to applying 

 the term to all wells in which the water is 

 under hydrostatic pressure, ' regardless of 

 whether they flow or not. Some favored the 

 dropping of the term altogether because of the 

 indefiniteness of its present use. 



Mr. C. A. Fisher spoke on ' A New River in 

 Northern Nebraska.' Water first began to 

 appear early last summer in low spots along 

 a broad shallow valley-like depression in 

 Cherry County, gradually increasing in 

 amount until a streani was formed, which 

 during the summer slowly pushed its way, it 

 is reported, forward across Brown, Rock, Holt 

 and portions of Wheeler and Antelope Coun- 

 ties, a distance of about one hundred miles. 

 There is said to be no record of any water 

 course in the valley since the region was set- 

 tled and numerous more or less fantastic ex- 

 planations have been advanced by the inhabit- 

 ants to explain its appearance. ' In reality, it 

 probably simply represents the surplus ground- 

 water which has been accumulating during 



