84 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XX. No. 498. 



The Influence of Siubcutaneous Injections, 



and of Instillations, of Adrenalin upon the 



Pupils of Frogs, with Demonstrations : S. J. 



Meltzer and Clara Meltzer Ader. 



Many observers have established the fact 

 that subcutaneous injections as well as in- 

 stillations of adrenalin exert no influence upon 

 the width of the pupil in normal mammals. 

 In a series of experiments published recently 

 by the authors of this report it was shown 

 that from 24 to 48 hours after the removal 

 of the superior cervical ganglion a subcutane- 

 ous injection or an instillation of adrenalin 

 caused a considerable dilation of the pupil, 

 which lasted an hour or longer. 



In the present communication the authors 

 report that in frogs a subcutaneous injection 

 or an instillation of adrenalin into the con- 

 junctival sac causes an unmistakable dilation 

 of the pupils of a normal animal. The dila- 

 tion lasts a good deal longer than was ever 

 observed in mammals even after removal of 

 the ganglion; after instillation some dilation 

 may be perceptible as long as 36 hours. The 

 maximum dilation may even continue as long 

 as 12 hours. 



When the cord is severed just below the 

 medulla oblongata, the pupils usually become 

 small and ellipsoid in shape. A subcutaneous 

 injection causes them to become wide and 

 round. Instillation has the same efEect. 

 Finally the effect of instillation can be well 

 observed also on the excised eyes, even when 

 the adrenalin is applied some hours after ex- 

 cision, provided the eyes are kept moist. The 

 experiments were demonstrated. 



William J. Gies, 

 Secretary. 



THE TOREEY BOTANICAL CLUB. 



The meeting of April 12, 1904, was held at 

 the New York College of Pharmacy, with 

 Dr. MacDougal in the chair. 



The first paper of the evening was by Pro- 

 fessor L. II. Underwood on ' Cyathea and its 

 Allies in Jamaica.' One of the objects of 

 Professor Underwood's trip to Jamaica last 

 year was to study the tree ferns in the field. 

 Specimens usually show a single pinna with- 

 out its connections or any part of the caudex. 



Such material has been used for types and 

 one species has been described from a single 

 pinnule. Although a species which is well 

 known can often be recognized by a fragment 

 of a good specimen, it should show as much as 

 possible of a pinna, its connection with the 

 main rachis, and part of the caudex. 



The Cyatheacese or tree ferns mostly have 

 an elongated caudex or trunk, but a few are 

 herbaceous. The more distinctive family 

 characters are furnished by the sporangia, 

 which are rounded-triangular with complete 

 ring and are sessile or very shortly stalked. 

 There are six genera in the West Indies dis- 

 tinguished by the character of the indusium, 

 habit and cutting of the leaves. 



Cyathea arborea is the oldest and best 

 known of the West Indian tree ferns and the 

 only one common to most of the islands, many 

 of the species being found only on the islands 

 on which they were originally described. It 

 occurs at an elevation of 1,000 to 2,000 feet 

 and forms a handsome tree with a spread of 

 14 to 18 feet. Above this it is replaced by a 

 similar but larger species of Alsophila. Cya- 

 thea arhorea and C. elegans are noticeably 

 distinguishable by the caudex, that of the 

 former being smooth, while that of the latter 

 is very rough and shaggy. C. nigrescens is 

 common to Jamaica and Cuba. C. insignis 

 is a handsome plant, but as only two were 

 seen, and these represented perhaps 200 years' 

 growth, they were not taken for specimens, but 

 notes were made on the trunk characters. A 

 fine specimen is in cultivation at the conserva- 

 tory of the Botanical Garden brought up by 

 Professor Earle. Of the sixteen species of 

 Cyathea which are not doubtful, thirteen are 

 endemic in Jamaica and three are knovra. only 

 from type specimens. The sharp prickles of 

 these and other species secrete a poison and 

 wounds from them are very painful, so that 

 collecting on the steep hillsides is likely to be 

 attended with considerable discomfort. The 

 genus Alsophila has three species which are 

 well known. A. armata, occurring at 4,000 to 

 5,000 feet elevation, has a usual height of 

 40 to 45 feet and is the most graceful plant 

 of the island. It is armed only with weak 

 bristles. Alsophila a-spera, which is a lower 



