844 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. IV. No. 101. 



takes place in the cell, we have an explanation 

 of the fact, observed by Hedin, that different 

 albuminous bodies yield on hydrolysis different 

 amounts of arginin." 



The fact that we have finally procured in 

 protamin a chemically pure substance of a com- 

 paratively simple nature, which is, in all pro- 

 bability, the fundamental radicle of albumen, 

 is of the very greatest importance in the study 

 of the composition of the albumens, and may, 

 perhaps, lead ultimately to their artificial for- 

 mation. 



In a third paper, ' On the Formation of Thy- 

 jnin from the Fish -sperm,' Kossel shows thymin 

 to be a decomposition product of the nucleic 

 acid of the sturgeon sperm, just as it is derived 

 from the nucleic acid isolated from the thymus 

 gland. He establishes its identity, also, with 

 the body called 'nucleosin,' isolated by 

 Schmiedeberg from the salmon sperm nucleic 

 acid. From this there can be little doubt that 

 these three acids are very closely similar in 

 structure. 



It has recently been found by the reviewer, 

 in Kossel' s laboratory, that the sperm of the 

 sea urchin, Arbacia, also consists largely of pro- 

 tamin and nucleic acid. 



It seems probable, from these results, that the 

 head of the spermatozoon generally is composed 

 of two very interesting substances, of nucleic 

 acid, the essential chromatic constituent prob- 

 ably of all chromatins thus far isolated, free or 

 combined, from yeast, pancreas and thymus 

 gland ; and of protamin, the radicle of albumen. 

 The sperm seems to have rid itself of all super- 

 fluities and taken the essentials in their most 

 compact form. 



From Miescher's work we also have a good 

 idea of the chemical nature of the sperm tail, 

 although it is probable that the lecithin isolated 

 therefrom is in reality combined in life with the 

 albumen. As to the chemical nature of the 

 middle piece little or nothing is so far known, 

 but it is possible that, if the methods of histo- 

 chemical isolation used by Miescher shall be 

 found generally applicable, something may in 

 time be learned of this. 



We are still uncertain whether the protamin 

 nucleate is identical in composition with the 

 chromatin in the head of the living sperm, or 



whether in the process of isolation it has in 

 some way changed, but the latter may not im- 

 probably be the case. At any rate it cannot be 

 long until we have a general comparative chem- 

 istry of the chromatins, just as we have at 

 present of the nucleins. The work of Kossel 

 and Lilienfeld upon the chromatin of the calf's 

 thymus, that of Kossel and Altmann upon the 

 chromatin of yeast, of Hammarsten upon the 

 pancreas chromatin, of Kossel upon the chro- 

 matin of the sturgeon's sperm and salmon, and 

 that of Miescher upon the salmon sperm form 

 the first stones of the foundation. 



Albert Mathews. 



SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS. 



THE PHYSICAL REVIEW, VOL. IV., NO. 3, 

 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER, 1896. 



Experimental Determination of the Temperature 

 in Geissler tubes : By R. W. Wood. It has been 

 admitted for some time past that the light effects 

 in Geissler tubes cannot be interpreted as in- 

 dicating a high temperature. The phenomenon 

 is unquestionably one of luminescence. Several 

 writers, among whom Warburg may be espe- 

 cially mentioned, have discussed the theory of 

 the phenomenon, and have arrived at results 

 indicating that the temperature in an active 

 Geissler tube is not greatly above the tempera- 

 ture of the surrounding air. 



Mr. Wood has undertaken the difficult prob- 

 lem of actually measuring the temperature in 

 the interior of a Geissler tube, making use of 

 a fine wire bolometer so arranged that it could 

 be moved from point to point through the tube. 

 His results are, in the main, in agreement with 

 the predictions of Prof. Warburg. The tem- 

 perature in no case exceeds that of the surround- 

 ing air by more than 20 or 30 degrees. The 

 temperature, however, is not found to be con- 

 stant throughout the tube, but varies in accord- 

 ance with definite laws throughout the space 

 separating the two electrodes. The most 

 striking results obtained by Mr. Wood apply to 

 the case of a stratified discharge. In the curves 

 which he presents to show the variation in tem- 

 perature from point to point, a well defined 

 ripple is seen corresponding to each layer or 

 stratification. In passing from a bright layer 



