142 



SCIENCE- GOSSIP. 



cooling was fractionally precipitated by neutral, 

 then by basic acetate of lead. Then the residue of 

 the substances in the solution was separated by 

 adding ammonia. The eight precipitates so ob- 

 tained were singly treated with sulphuretted hydro- 

 gen gas, the filtrates concentrated, purified, and 

 examined. From the first portion of the precipitate 

 by neutral acetate of lead he obtained fat, pectin, 

 a resinous body, and a considerable quantity of a 

 crystallisable acid ; from the last portion of the 

 same, as well as from the precipitate by basic ace- 

 tate of lead, he obtained a not inconsiderable 

 quantity of a peculiar tannin ; also two substances, 

 one of which, after much trouble in the way of 

 physical and chemical analysis, was determined 

 to be inosite, C 12 H 16 1G ; the other, after a not so 

 searching examination, proved to be quercitrin, 

 C^H^O 38 . The now almost transparent infusion of 

 the leaves, by reason of the complete precipitation 

 with the lead salts, was treated with ammonia, 

 which produced a pretty bulky white precipitate, 

 that was collected and decomposed under water by 

 carbonic acid gas, and the filtrate further purified. 

 There resulted a syrupy, light brown mass that on 

 standing deposited a considerable quantity of small 

 needles, which on testing were shown to be man- 

 nite, C 12 H 14 12 , while in the mother-liquor a gummy 

 substance, also a considerable amount of granular 

 sugar, were found. Dr. Gintl did not find in the 

 infusion any traces of fraxin or fraxetin, nor quinic 

 acid. Such, in brief, is a bare outline of a method 

 of scientific investigation which was much in vogue 

 in certain places about half a century ago and later. 

 The marvel is that the exhibition and publication 

 of it is so rare. Apart from certain researches 

 conducted in the interests of pharmacy, and 

 possibly of the drug trade, it is really excessively 

 difficult to find in the pages of any of the pro- 

 fessedly scientific journals or reports of England 

 or Germany anything like a complete account or 

 summary of the chemical constituents of any of 

 our common trees or herbs. One reason of this 

 state of affairs may be that the subject has already 

 been exhausted, some " infallible authority " having 

 spoken ; so that, if we wish to know anything 

 about the subject, we are referred by means of the 

 usual hieroglyphics to some old and musty volume, 

 almost impossible to procure, and if discovered, at 

 least in this country, it will almost certainly be 

 quite " clean " enough to satisfy the most fastidious 

 second-hand bookstaller. It would, no doubt, be 

 voted something quite trite and commonplace, if 

 pen, ink, or breath were wasted in a vain endeavour 

 to show that we really know nothing whatever about 

 a plant if we do not know its physiology through 

 its chemistry. I have only to add that the methods 

 of Dr. Gintl have been modified of late years with 

 great and obvious advantage, but all difficulties in 

 connection with this line of investigation are as 

 yet by no means overcome. 

 Paiterdale, Westmorland. 



BRITISH ASSOCIATION. 



fTlHE meeting of the British Association for 

 -*- 1900, held at Bradford on the 6th September 

 and following week, was worthy of the expiring 

 century. 



Sir William Turner's admirable review of mor- 

 phological science and its progress during the 

 past hundred years dealt with the knowledge 

 of structural organisation of animals and plants. 

 This, of course, included the cell theory and its 

 development, brought about by recently improved 

 means of observation and more systematic special- 

 ism in its investigation. All the sectional presi- 

 dential addresses were sound and instructive. 

 Among them we may refer to that of Dr. Joseph 

 Larmor, who spoke on the advance of electrical 

 science, the constitution of individual molecules 

 of matter, the functions and dynamics of ether ; 

 all fascinating subjects in themselves. Professor 

 Sollas considered the significance of various 

 physical phenomena in connection with geology 

 with regard to the earth's age. Dr. Ramsay 

 Traquair discussed fossil ichthyology and its bear- 

 ing on the doctrine of descent. Professor S. H. 

 Vines's address, which had to be read in his un- 

 fortunate absence through illness, consisted of a 

 review of the progress of botany during the past 

 century. One of the most- remarkable of these 

 addresses was that in the section for Anthropology, 

 by Professor John Rhys, on the Early Ethno- 

 logy of the British Islands, who approached his 

 subject through folklore and language of the 

 people. 



The interesting lecture by Professor E. Gotch, 

 F.R.S., on " Animal Electricity," given in St. 

 George's Hall, commanded much attention from a 

 large gathering of members and their friends. 

 The popular Saturday evening lecture was b} r 

 Professor Silvanus Thompson on the i; Industrial 

 Applications of Electricity " ; there was an attend- 

 ance exceeding 3,500 persons. As might have 

 been expected of the Bradford meeting, the section 

 for Geology was occupied at some length by 

 subjects appertaining to coal. Mr. R. Kidston and 

 Mr. Strahan read papers on the " Flora of the 

 Coal-measures " and the " Origin of Coal "respec- 

 tively. Both these subjects led to important dis- 

 cussions. A paper, illustrated by a series of 

 photographs of insects in their natural environ- 

 ment, taken by the exhibitor, Mr. N. Annandale, in 

 the Malayan region, created much interest and 

 elicited some valuable opinions from Professor 

 Poulton and others. 



The above are only a few of the points of interest 

 at this year's meeting, space not permitting further 

 detail. The Association was most hospitably 

 received by the townspeople of Bradford, and the 

 usual excursions were very successful. 



Next year's meeting is to be held at Glasgow, 

 and that of the following year at Belfast. 



