July 28, 1911] 



SCIENCE 



105 



combine with salts.'^ Indeed it is virtu- 

 ally impossible to prepare protein free 

 from ash.^" It may be that salts enter 

 protoplasm by combining with protein in 

 the membrane. Even if this mechanism 

 prove ultimately not to exist, all the possi- 

 bilities are not exhausted. The lipoids, 

 kephalin and lecithin, occur in combination 

 with potassium and sodium." These com- 

 pounds are freely soluble in anhydrous 

 ether. The metal is not completely masked, 

 but can become to a slight degree disso- 

 ciated. Perhaps it is by forming such 

 compounds that metals enter cells. 



I hope I have shown that by the methods 

 of the organic chemist alone we can not 

 hope to achieve much insight iiato the 

 mechanisms of protoplasm. These mech- 

 anisms are dependent upon structure and 

 this organic chemistry is not capable of re- 

 vealing. The mechanisms are themselves 

 interrelated and coordinated. These rela- 

 tions and coordinations are not capable of 

 study by the usual analytical methods. 

 The process of analysis destroys them as it 

 destroys life itself of which they are the 

 most characteristic manifestations. These 

 chai'acteristics of life can be approached 

 only from the basis of structure of some 

 sort. For a proper understanding of it, 

 anatomical, chemical and physical knowl- 

 edge must be combined. The resultant 

 alone offers the hope of widening our 

 knowledge of the mechanisms of cell 

 activity. Carl L. Alsberg 



^ Of. Mathews, A. P., "A Contribution to the 

 General Principles of the Pharmaoodynamics of 

 Salts and Drugs, " " Biological Studies of the 

 Pupils of W. T. Sedgwick," pp. 103^, Boston, 

 1906. 



" Harnaek 's ashless protein is really a protein 

 with volatile ash — HCl. Berichte der deutschen 

 Chemischen Gesellschaft, Bd. 23, S. 3745, 1890. 



" Koch, W., and Pike, F. H., ' ' The Kelation of 

 the Phosphatids to the Sodium and Potassium of 

 the Neuron," The Journal of Pharmacology and 

 Experimental Therapeutics, Vol. 2, p. 245. 



THE TOTAL SOLAS ECLIPSE OF AFBIL 



S8, 1911 



[PRELIMINAEY COMMUNICATION] 



On the way to meet the Carnegie at Co- 

 lombo, Ceylon, I was so fortunate as to make 

 immediate connection at Suva, Fiji, for Apia, 

 Samoa, by means of a small steamer, the 

 Dorrigo, chartered by the German govern- 

 ment to carry the mail. I journeyed next to 

 Pago Pago, Tutuila, 80 miles distant from 

 Apia, chartering a 30-ton motor boat and ar- 

 riving at Pago Pago on Monday, April 24. 

 Laying my plans before his excellency, the 

 governor of Tutuila, Samoa, he very cour- 

 teously put at my disposal the U. S. cruiser, 

 the Annapolis, and furthermore gave me the 

 assistance of some of his best officers and 

 men. 



When I left Washington on March 16 the 

 possibility of getting into the belt of totality 

 in time seemed too small to warrant taking 

 with me skilled assistants or elaborate outfits 

 for chance eclipse observations. However, I 

 took two magnetometers and Mr. Abbott, of 

 the Smithsonian Institution, kindly provided 

 an improvised hand-driven, double-lens cam- 

 era of about llj-foot focus; everything was 

 packed in water-tight cases so as to be pre- 

 pared for difficult landings. I decided, 

 namely, to get, if possible, on one of the is- 

 lands not occupied by any eclipse party which, 

 while equally desirable, were not as accessible 

 as the Tongas where all the parties congre- 



The Annapolis left Pago Pago, Tuesday 

 night, April 25, and arrived at Tau Island — 

 the nearest accessible island in the belt — the 

 following afternoon. The entire outfit was 

 landed without mishap through the breakers 

 on the northwest side of the island, near the 

 village of Tau; this part of the work was en- 

 trusted to Capt. Steffany, a well-known pilot 

 in these waters. By the time the instruments 

 were unpacked and assembled and suitable 

 sites chosen, night came on. We were com- 

 fortably quartered in Vaitupu's house, the 

 widow .of Tuimanua, who died a couple of 

 years ago and who, during his time, was the 

 most powerful king of the Apanua group. 



