February. 1917.] Ah anal Report. \ \ 



Physics and Chemistry. 



In a paper on the action of light on silver chloride read 

 before fche Indian Science Congress and published in our Jour- 

 nal, Prof. P. S. Macmohan attacks the vexed problem of the 

 nature of the coloured product obtained by the action of light 

 on silver chloride. The suggestion is put forward that the 

 photochemical decomposition of silver chloride is attended 

 by a partial oxidation of the colloidal silver produced, but the 

 question is whether silver oxide or hydroxide is necessarily asso- 

 ciated with the coloured product or only accidentally admixed. 



A note on the constituents of the bark of Hymenodyctyon 

 excelsum was read by Mr. Charles Stanley Gibson and Dr. John 

 Lionel Simonsen, before the Indian Science Congress and pub- 



lished in our Journal. The authors isolated aesculin and scopo- 

 letin, but were unable to find any traces of an alkaloid. 



Mr. J. Evershed presented an interesting short paper, accom- 

 panied b} r photographs, on Sunspots and Prominences. Photo- 

 graphs of the limb of the sun's disc are taken daily at 

 Kodaikanal 0bservator3 r . The author arrives at the conclusion 

 that some repulsive force acts on prominences, as on the tails 

 of comets, and suggests that light -pressure is concerned in the 

 act, but declares that astronomers are not yet in a position to 

 explain what forces cause prominences to assume the many 

 strange and varied shapes which photography reveal. 



Medical Section. 



Owing to the continuance of the war and the absence of so 

 many members there has been little activity in the medical 

 section. Only two meetings have been held and the attendance 

 has been meagre. Valuable papers, which evoked considerate 

 discussion, have been read on the subject of the treatment of the 

 Kala-azar by the intravenous injection of antimony, by Sir 

 Leonard Rogers and Dr. Brahmachari. Dr. Hossack read a 

 paper on modern bacteriology. 



International Catalogue of Scientific Literature. 



During the year Invoices for 192 copies of the Inter- 

 national Catalogue were received, but no copies came to hand. 



Subscriptions to the total value of Rs. 1.335-6-0 were 

 received and these were remitted to the Central Bureau together 

 with the amount in hand at the beginning of the year, after 

 the usual deduction of the discount allowed by the publishers. 



Catalogue slips numbering 744 have been despatched 

 during the year. 



The expenses of the Regional Bureau for the year 1916 

 amounted to Rs. 457-14-6. 



