November 27, 1896.] 



SCIENCE. 



803 



which he will call Ptoinaphagus cavernicola, col- 

 lected by Dr. C. Hart Merriam, in Stone Cave, 

 Mo. 



The general subject of cave animals was dis- 

 cussed by Messrs. Gill, Ashmead, Cook and 

 Schwarz. 



Mr. Howard presented some notes on the 

 parasites of Orgyia leucostigma, which was fol- 

 lowed by a general discussion of parasitism in 

 insects, in which Messrs. Schwarz, Fernow, 

 Swingle, Dr. Otto Lugger and Prof. W. B. Al- 

 wood took part. L. O. Howard, 



Secretary. 



ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES OF 

 PHILADELPHIA, OCTOBER iJ7. 



Charles Morris read a paper on ' The Prime- 

 val Ocean. ' While evaporation takes place at 212 

 degrees Fahrenheit under one atmosphere of 

 pressure, if the ocean temperature were raised to 

 212 degrees the increased atmospheric moisture 

 would greatly increase the pressure, and the re- 

 sulting loss of oceanic water would consequently 

 be small. The highest limit of evaporation 

 under pressure known experimentally is 

 about 440 degrees, producing a pressure of 

 about twenty-five atmospheres, and if the ocean 

 were raised to this temperature there would 

 probably be not more than one-twelfth of the 

 water evaporated. But as the energy of evapora- 

 tion increases more rapidly, with increased tem- 

 perature, than that of pressure, all the water 

 would probably be evaporated at between 600 

 and 800 degrees, and at this temperature the 

 atmospheric pressure would reach 300 to 350 

 atmospheres, equal to from 4,500 to 5,200 

 pounds to the square inch, a pressure which 

 would probably prevent seismic action on the 

 earth's surface, and tend to condense gaseous 

 and liquid materials into solids. 



These conditions must have been attended 

 with great chemical activity, and this was pos- 

 sibly the era, in the world's history, of inorganic 

 chemistry ; which was succeeded by organic 

 chemistry when the water cooled to 212 de- 

 grees. Hence the great period of inorganic 

 chemism was prior to that of organic chemism ; 

 as the former is largely a process of oxida- 

 tion it practically exhausted itself when all the 

 materials were oxidized ; while the latter, be- 



ing in the main a process of deoxidation, may 

 continue indefinitely while temperature condi- 

 tions permit. 



As to the derivation of organic from inor- 

 ganic chemism, it probably occurred during the 

 perion in question, when, owing to its great 

 chemical activity and increased solvent power, 

 the water may have been so charged with 

 foreign matter so as to be nearly jelly-like in 

 consistency. Under present conditions organic 

 chemical material could not be reproduced 

 should it be swept away ; at the same time the 

 conditions are favorable to its continuance, hav- 

 ing once been produced. 



Papers under the following titles were pre- 

 sented for publicatton : ' New Species of Fresh- 

 water Mollusks from South America,' by 

 Henry A. Pilsbry. ' Geology of the Mussel- 

 bearing Clays of Fish-House, N. J,' by Henry 

 A. Pilsbry. 



Biological Section, November 2d : Dr. M. V. 

 Ball, Eecorder. Dr. A. H. Stewart made a 

 communication on the effects of rattlesnake 

 poison on the blood. The snakes in captivity 

 are fed only once or twice in six months. The 

 venom is obtained by engaging the head of the 

 snake in a leather loop and then making pres- 

 sure on the glands while the fangs are pro- 

 truded. The color of the venom varies from a 

 light lemon to a rich straw or even orange. 

 When the fluid evaporates yellow crystals are 

 formed. 



When a drop of the venom is injected under 

 the skin of a rabbit death will result in four 

 hours. The dried poison is fatal to a rabbit in 

 a dose of four milligrammes in from ten to 

 twelve hours. The venom becomes less poi- 

 sonous the more frequently it is taken from the 

 snake ; the quantity is also much lessened. 



From the point of entrance of the fangs sub- 

 dermal hemorrhages occur ; the parts become 

 almost black ; the peritoneum appears gan- 

 grenous. The blood passes through the vessels 

 freely, producing an extensive cedema, while 

 the internal organs — the kidneys, liver and 

 lungs — are almost bloodless. The blood re- 

 mains fluid for a long time after death. The 

 corpuscles are reduced in size and seem to be 

 stuck together by the edges. They retain their 

 shape for weeks and the blood of the snake 



