980 



SCIENCE. 



[N. B. Vol. XXIII. No. 600. 



rays so long that very few are capable of fer- 

 tilizing ova, the eggs thus fertilized usually 

 do not develop into larvas, but they may do so. 

 4. When spermatozoa have been exposed for 

 a considerable period to the Roentgen rays and 

 yet are still capable of fertilizing a consider- 

 able proportion of eggs placed in the same 

 dish, the eggs seem to develop noi-mally at 

 first, but beyond the gastrula stage the devel- 

 opment becomes retarded and the resulting 

 larvas are markedly deformed. These de- 

 formities are quite varied. In one larva, for 

 instance, a considerable part of the central 

 nervous system and the gills were undevel- 

 oped on one side, vchile the abdominal viscera 

 were developed only on that side. In another 

 the central nervous system was abnormal on 

 both sides and the alimentary canal quite de- 

 fective. Considerable further study is neces- 

 sary to determine accurately the nature of all 

 the abnormalities present in the various mon- 

 sters the author has preserved. Apparently 

 all are defect abnormalities. From the re- 

 sults obtained it may also be concluded: - 



1. That nuclear material may be so influ- 

 enced by exposure to the Roentgen rays that 

 after a latent period it will call forth marked 

 abnormalities in development. 



2. That injury to spermatozoa capable of 

 fertilizing ova may cause the development of 

 monsters from the ova thus fertilized. 



A Vago-esophageal Reflex: S. J. Meltzer 



and John Auer. 



The general knowledge of the contractions 

 of the esophagus is confined to the peristaltic 

 movements, that is, the consecutive contrac- 

 tions of the successive parts of the esophagus 

 following a normal deglutition, or, as it was 

 described by Meltzer at a previous meeting of 

 this society, after an injection of liquid or 

 insufflation of air directly into the esophagus. 

 A simultaneous contraction of the entire 

 esophagus can be produced only by stimula- 

 ting the peripheral end of the vagus when cut 

 in the neck. 



The authors discovered that in dogs a 

 tetanic contraction of the entire esophagus 

 can be caused also by reflex ways. When the 

 vagus is cut in any part of the neck, an elec- 



tric stimulation of its central end causes a 

 prompt longitudinal and circular contraction 

 of the entire esophagus, which lasts as long as 

 the stimulation continues. Particulars and 

 other interesting facts connected with this 

 observation will be, reported later. 

 Ion Protein Compounds, with Exhibition of 

 Products: William J. Gies. 

 The author drew attention to the desirabil- 

 ity of studies of definite compounds of pro- 

 teins, and described a method of preparing 

 dissociable inorganic salts of glucoproteins 

 and nucleoproteins. Numerous lines of inves- 

 tigation that have been opened by this obser- 

 vation were discussed and are in progress. 

 Some Facts Showing that the Brain Educts 

 Termed Phrenosin (187^) and Cereiron 

 (1900) were Practically the Same: William 

 J. Gies. 



A careful study of the chemical facts re- 

 garding phrenosin and cerebron has convinced 

 the writer that these two brain educts were 

 essentially the same. The name cerebron ap- 

 pears to be superfluous, although the prepara- 

 tion called cerebron has been studied more 

 thoroughly than the other. 

 A Simple Electrical Annunciator for Use in 

 Metabolism Experiments, and in Connection 

 with Filtration, Distillation and Similar 

 Operations, with Demonstration: William 

 H. Welker. (Communicated by William 

 J. Gies.) 



The annunciator shown to the society con- 

 sists of two square boards (4J x 4J x | inch) 

 securely fastened together with a piano hinge 

 on one side, and kept apart by a spring per- 

 pendicularly arranged at the opposite side in 

 such a way as to permit a definite pressure to 

 force the surfaces of the boards together. The 

 spring can be adjusted so as to increase or 

 decrease, within considerable limits of weight, 

 the amount of force (weight) required to 

 bring the boards in contact. In the opposed 

 surfaces of the boards platinum electrodes 

 (plate and points) are so placed that perfect 

 contact between them is effected when the 

 boards are brought together and the circuit is 

 closed. The electrodes connect with binding 

 posts on the hinged side. A small dry cell is 



