December 23, 1898.] 



SCIENCE. 



895 



The sj'nthesis of peptone is effected by 

 the condensation of phenol with glycocoll 

 with the help of phosphoroxychlorid. A 

 hydrochlorate of peptone results, which 

 gives all the characteristic reactions of pro- 

 tein. By conversion into sulfate and the 

 decomposition of the latter the free pep- 

 tone is obtained, which it is claimed by 

 Lilienfeld is similar both in chemical and 

 physiological properties to the natural prod- 

 uct. 



It is evident from the method of prepara- 

 tion that the product contains no sulfur, 

 since the only sulfur-containing ingredient 

 used was sulfuric acid, and this could not 

 possibly enter into the organic preparation. 

 Granting that a peptonoid body was pro- 

 duced, the synthesis of a true proteid, 

 which must contain sulfur, is still undem- 

 onstrated. 



The color reactions which are supposed 

 to be characteristic of protein must not be 

 relied on too surely. They are probably 

 due to decomposition, and not to the action 

 of the molecule as a whole. It is stated by 

 Pickering that a mixture of tyrosin, indol 

 and biuret will give all the reactions char- 

 acteristic of a proteid. If the prospects of 

 artificial food depended on these so-called 

 synthetic products the vocation of the 

 geoponist would be assured for many mil- 

 lions of years to come. 



The interesting fact, however, in papers 

 of this kind is found in the accomplishment 

 of steps which a few years ago were con- 

 sidered improbable or impossible. It is 

 certain that the chemist is now able to pro- 

 duce organic compounds, or bodies which 

 closely resemble them, in great numbers, if 

 not in considerable quantities. Practically, 

 such investigations will lead to further 

 studies in the domain of synthetic chemistry 

 and doubtless to the discovery of many ad- 

 ditional synthetic products of great utility. 

 In so far as the production of artificial food 

 is concerned, however, there seems to be 



absolutely no possibility of Nature's meth- 

 ods ever being supplanted or even greatly 

 supplemented by the synthetical products 

 of the laboratory. 



H. W. Wiley. 

 Division of Chemistry, 

 Department of Agriculture. 



THE 'FEELING OF BEING STARED AT.' 

 Every year I find a certain proportion of 

 students, in my junior classes, who are 

 firmly persuaded that they can ' feel ' that 

 they are being stared at from behind, and a 

 smaller proportion who believe that, by 

 persistent gazing at the back of the neck, 

 they have the power of making a person 

 seated in front of them turn round and 

 look them in the face. The phenomena are 

 said to occur in any sort of assembly — at 

 church, in the class room, in a public hall. 

 The ' feeling,' when it is not merely de- 

 scribed as ' uncanny,' ' a feeling of Must,' 

 etc., is referred to as a state of un- 

 pleasant tension or stiffness at the nape of 

 the neck, sometimes accompanied by ting- 

 ling, which gathers in volume and intensity 

 until a movement which shall relieve it be- 

 comes inevitable. It is believed that this 

 stiffness is, in some way or other, the direct 

 effect of the focussing of vision upon the 

 back of the head and neck. 



The belief rests upon a foundation of 

 fact, but (like most popular beliefs) implies 

 a misinterpretation of fact. The psychology 

 of the matter is as follows : (1) We are all 

 of us more or less ' nervous ' about our 

 backs. If you observe a seated audience, 

 before it has become absorbed in the music 

 or lecture for which it came together, you 

 will notice that a great many women are 

 continually placing their hands to their 

 heads, smoothing and patting their hair, 

 and every now and again glancing at their 

 shoulders or over their shoulders to their 

 backs ; while many of the men will fre- 

 quently glance at or over their shoulders, 



