October 1, 1886.J 



SCIEJSrCE. 



29^ 



The other book is a short pamphlet by Dr. U. 

 Perronnet, and treats of mental suggestion. It is 

 a very interesting little work, relating curious 

 facts, and that seems to be appreciated by compe- 

 tent persons. Two works are in preparation on 

 the same subject, — one by Dr. Ochorowitz ; the 

 other, by Dr. Barety of Nice. These two works 

 will be interesting, their authors being especially 

 competent, which is not the case in many others 

 recently published, and of which I prefer not to 

 speak. V. 



Paris, Sept. 14. 



VIENNA LETTER. 



A NEW and very sensitive test for cellulose and 

 vegetable fibres has been described recently by 

 Dr. Hans Molisch, an assistant at Professor 

 Wiesner's phyto-physiological laboratory. It is 

 based on the fact, that, by the action of water 

 and concentrated sulphuric acid, cellulose is con- 

 verted into sugar, or, to speak more correctly, 

 into dextrine and dextrose : therefore vegetable 

 fibres consisting mainly of cellulose exhibit in- 

 directly the reactions of sugar. The importance 

 of this new test for detecting adulterations of 

 wool, etc., can easily be understood. 



An important discovery in reference to celhilose 

 has been made here. It was generally assumed 

 till now that the occurrence of this body was 

 restricted to the vegetable kingdom, and to a few 

 families of invertebrated animals — viz. , the 

 Ascidia and Tunicata — containing tunicin, or 

 animal cellulose, in their 'mantle.' Now, Mr. 

 Ernst Freund claims to have found cellulose in 

 the human blood and organs under particular 

 pathological conditions. These conditions are 

 produced by tuberculous disease. Taking into 

 consideration some etiological facts, especially the 

 effect of the quality of food on the spread of 

 tuberculosis among the population, Freund was 

 induced to examine if cellulose may be a chemical 

 substratum for the formation of tuberculous 

 growths. The tuberculous organs (Ivmgs, spleen, 

 miliary tubercles of the peritoneum) and blood, 

 when treated properly, yielded an organic non- 

 nitrogenous body, belonging, as it was proved by 

 ultimate analysis, to the carbo-hydrates, and 

 possessing all the properties of celliilose. In all 

 the cases, — those taken from normal organs, and 

 those afflicted by various non-tuberculous diseases, 

 — Freund failed to find cellulose at all : therefore 

 he feels himself compelled to conclude that 

 cellulose is a typical constituent of tubercles and 

 of the blood in tuberculosis. , 



The seventh meeting of the International con- 

 gress of orientalists will be held here from Sept. 



27 till Oct. 2. Many illustrious orientalists, espe- 

 cially Indians, will be present, more than three 

 hundred and sixty members being ah-eady an- 

 normced. The principal orientalists' associations 

 wUl send their delegates. More than forty papers 

 will be read, among them some on ethnological 

 matters. The publication of the so-called ' Fajum 

 papyros ' found some years ago in Egypt, being now 

 in possession of the Archduke Eainer, promises io 

 be of great interest. 



On Sept. 2 the highest European meteorological 

 observatory was dedicated solemnly. It is situ- 

 ated on the SombUck Mountain (near Rauris, Salz- 

 burg), 3,103 metres above the sea-level, aud consists 

 of a tower and three other rooms. It is supplied 

 with all the necessary meteorological instruments,, 

 and is connected by telephone with the nearest 

 telegraph-office. Herr Rojacher, proprietor of the- 

 Rauris mines, has aided the progress of the work 

 in a very munificent manner. 



The number of medical students at the Vienna 

 university is rapidly increasing. During the 

 winter session just past, 2,407 ordinary and 266 

 extraordinary students were there matriculated. 

 The minister of public instruction, therefore, issued 

 a circular to the medical department of Vienna 

 university, asking if the number of students would 

 not have to be restricted by introducing a numerusr 

 clausus. 



As I am now informed, the mantle of Auer von 

 Welsbach's lamp, described already in a previous 

 letter, is prepared by impregnating the gauze with 

 solutions of salts of zirconia, oxides of lanthanum 

 (and yttria). V. C. 



Vienna, Sept. 14. 



NOTES AND NEWS. 



Cases of so-called hydrophobia, in which an 

 interval of years elapses between the bite and 

 the appearance of the disease, are to be regarded 

 with suspicion. Dr. Jardin-Beaumetz, in a com-, 

 munication to the Conseil d'hygiene, gives the in- 

 terval, or the period of incubation, as it is termed, 

 as averaging between three and four months, in 

 fifty-eight cases of hydrophobia in man, observed 

 since 1881. A well-authenticated case, which is 

 a striking exception to this rule, has recently oc- 

 curred in France, in which nineteen months, 

 elapsed. 



— Mr. Arnold Hague, of the U. S. geological 

 svu-vey, who is now in the Yellowstone national 

 park, writes that the accounts which have appeared 

 in various newspapers, of an outbreak of the Ex- 

 celsior geyser coincident with the date of tfie recent 

 earthquake that was so destructive at Charleston 

 on Aug. 31, are entirely without foundation. He 

 has been studying tliis geyser for the last four years^ 



