690 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLIII, No. 1115 



withdrawal of water the solution inside the 

 muscle becomes more concentrated and as- 

 sumes a higher osmotic pressure than that of a 

 m/8 liTaCl solution. Hence if such a muscle 

 is surrounded by a m/8 WaCl solution the 

 difference in osmotic pressure of the solution 

 inside and outside the muscle must lead to a 

 diffusion of water into the muscle. 



The direct driving force for the exchange of 

 water between muscle and surrounding solu- 

 tion is, therefore, again the osmotic pressure. 



3. These ideas are so self-evident that their 

 publication would seem superfluous were it not 

 for the fact that WoKgang Ostwald and other 

 colloid chemists deny the existence of semi- 

 permeable membranes in the muscle on ac- 

 count of the fact that acid causes proteins to 

 undergo imbibition. It seemed, therefore, of 

 some importance to point out that the imbibi- 

 tion of the proteins of a muscle under the 

 influence of acid formed inside contradicts 

 neither the existence of a semipermeable mem- 

 brane around the striped muscle nor the para- 

 mount role of osmotic pressure in the exchange 

 of water between such a muscle and its sur- 

 rounding solution. 



Jacques Loeb 



The Rockefeller Institute 

 FOE Medical Beseaech, 

 New Toek 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 



THE KANSAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 



The forty-eighth annual meeting was held in 

 Memorial Hall at Topeka, Kansas, January li 

 and 15, 1916. The following, among other papers, 

 were read: 



"Civilized Europe: a Chapter in Anthropol- 

 ogy," by A. A. Graham. 



"Botanical Notes," by L. C. Wooster. 



"Some Experiments with Bacillus coU com- 

 munis," by L. C. Wooster. 



' ' Observations on Jupiter at Opposition in 

 1915," by Edison Pettit. 



"A Universal Heliostat, " by Edison Pettit. 



"Additions to Kansas Coleoptra, to 1916," by 

 W. Knaus. 



"Some Life History Notes on Phytonomus exi- 

 mins," by W. Knaus. 



"Bare Coleoptra from the Sand Hill Region of 

 Reno County, " by W. Knaus. 



"The Clan System of Wyandot Indians," by 

 William E. Connelley. 



"Echinacea and its Use," by J. M. McWharf, 



Presidential Address — ' ' American Highways, ' 

 by J. A. G. Shirk. 



"Properties of Kansas Clays," by Paul Teetor 



"Notes on the Comanehian of Kansas," by W, 

 H. Twenhofel. 



"Relative Toxicity of Aromatic Oils and Inor 

 ganic Compounds on Fungi," by L. J. Reiser. 



"The Gorship Indians of Utah," by A. B, 



' ' Some Nutritional Characteristics of Com, ' ' by 

 J. T. WiUard. 



' ' The New Public Health, " by J. C. Crumbine. 



"A Study of Foods for Infants," by Leon A. 

 Congdoh. 



"Stramonium," by L. D. Havenhill. 



' ' The Chemical Products of Physical Fatigue 

 and their Possible Relation to Mental EfBciency, " 

 by F. C. Dockeray. 



"A Method for the Determination of SaUeylie 

 Acid in Aspirin, " by G. N. Watson. 



"Isolation of the Toxic Principles of Coffee 

 and Determination of their Toxicity," by L. E. 

 Sayre. 



"Calcium Metabolism," by C. F. Nelson. 



' ' Differentiation within the Acid-fast Group of 

 Organisms," by N. P. Sherwood. 



' ' Breeding Habits of some Annelids, " by W. J. 

 Baumgartner. 



"Eugenie Studies in Kansas," by W. R. B. 

 Robertson. 



"Effect of Environment upon the Germ Cells," 

 by B. M. Allen. 



"(Population Changes and Industrial Develop- 

 ment," by P. F. Walker. 



"Explosions in Kansas Coal Mines: Their Cause 

 and Prevention," by A. C. Terrill. 



' ' More about Kaw Lake, " by J. E. Todd. 



"Eolian Loess," by J. E. Todd. 



"On the Occurrence of Starch in some Green 

 Fruit Products used for Jelly -making, " by B. H. 

 S. Bailey and W. S. Long. 



' ' The Chemical Characteristics of Ground 

 Water," by F. W. Bruckmiller. 



"Experimental Modifications in the Develop- 

 ment of the Germ Glands of the Prog," by W. W. 

 Swingle. 



The officers elected were as follows: J. E. Todd, 

 President; F. G. Agrelius and L. D. Havenhill, 

 Vice-presidents; W. W. Swingle, Secretary; and 

 Wm. A. Harshbarger, Treasurer. 



