456 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXV. No. 638 



tion. The kidney, ureter and adjacent por- 

 tion of the bladder were excised, in situ, 

 and placed in a bath of warm Ringer's 

 solution. The caffeine was used by suffu- 

 sion or perfusion. The stimulating effect 

 was observed by the graphic method. 

 "When solutions containing 2-5 per cent, of 

 caffeine were used, tonic contractions took 

 place that lasted one to three minutes, 

 after which the peristaltic waves were much 

 smaller and more frequent. In both series 

 of experiments the stimulating action of 

 caffeine caused the pelvis to contract in a 

 tonic manner, the isthmus apparently ex- 

 erting a sphineterie action, which prevented 

 the urine from passing until the constric- 

 tion was overcome by the increasing pelvic 

 pressure, at which time equilibrium in the 

 tone of the different parts was reestab- 

 lished. 



The Occurrence of Manganese in the Fresh- 

 water Clam: Haeold C. Bradley. 

 Manganese has been found in consider- 

 able amounts in the tissue ash of specimens 

 of the common fresh-water clams of the 

 Mississippi Basin— ZJmio and Anadonta— 

 obtained from the lakes at Madison, Wis- 

 consin. It was suspected in the first in- 

 stances that the manganese might be pres- 

 ent in the intestinal tract, from manganese 

 bacteria ingested with the food; but after 

 six weeks starvation the apparent amount 

 of the metal in the ash was unchanged. It 

 seems probable, therefore, that manganese 

 is normally present in these molluscs. 

 Further examination shows it to be regu- 

 larly present in the blood and eggs, while 

 iron is present in small amounts and copper 

 only in miniite traces. The presumption 

 seems warranted that the respiratory ex- 

 changes of Unio and Anadonta are carried 

 on by a manganese-proteid combination 

 analogous to the iron and copper com- 

 pounds, hemoglobin and hemoeyanin, and 



the less well-known copper and zinc com- 

 bination, hemosycotypin. 



The Eexone Bases in Camemhert Cheese: 

 Aethue W. Dox. 



Studies on the Metabolism and Physio- 

 logical Function of Phosphorus Com- 

 pounds: W. H. JOEDAI^. 



On Protein Analysis : P. A. Levene, W. A. 

 Bbattt, R. D. MacLauein and C. H. 



RUILLER. 



On the Influence of Internal Hemorrhage 

 on Chemical Changes in the Organism, 

 ivith Particular Reference to Proteid 

 Catabolism: F. S. Weingaeten. 

 Two dogs were subjected to the condi- 

 tions of internal hemorrhage by transfer- 

 ring measured volumes, about 3 per cent, of 

 the body weight, of blood from the femoral 

 artery to the peritoneal cavity. This was 

 done respectively six and seven times, the 

 dogs having first been put in nitrogenous 

 equilibrium and fed each day with the 

 same amount of food of known composi- 

 tion. Due surgical care was observed, the 

 dogs kept under excellent conditions, and 

 urine and feces collected each day. From 

 the first there was a steady decline in 

 weight, although all food given was eaten. 

 The second dog did not regain his weight 

 till six months after the seventh operation. 

 At autopsy neither dog showed blood in the 

 peritoneal cavity, there was no matting of 

 the omentum ; the only marked change was 

 the thickening of the abdominal waU after 

 the numerous laparotomies and one band of 

 adhesions between the stomach and the left 

 parietes. Collateral circulation had been 

 prompt and effective in the legs. Daily 

 urine volume showed marked changes, there 

 being a decided fall on the day of hemor- 

 rhage and a very marked increase from 

 two to four days later. The average of 

 daily nitrogen in the urine was about the 

 same at the end as at the beginning of each 



