1 62 



SCIENCE. 



He described the methods used to obtain specimens of 

 the animal and vegetable life to be found three or four miles 

 below the surface of the ocean. He then made a logical 

 and lengthy argument to show that the low forms of deep 

 sea life may furnish another link in the line of proof which 

 is causing scientific men to tend so largely to the evolution 

 theory. 



The paper was lengthy and will appear in full in the pro- 

 ceedings of the Society. 



Thursday's Session. 



Following the reading of the minutes, the Executive 

 Committee reported the name of P. L. Hatch, M. D., of 

 Minneapolis as a member of the Society. He was duly 

 elected. 



The secretary also read a report of the Executive Com- 

 mittee in reference to amendments to the constitution. 

 The amendments propose the election of honorary mem- 

 bers ; the election of secretary and treasurer for three years ; 

 making the vice-presidents the auditors of the treasurer's 

 accounts and the treasurer the custodian of the society's 

 property ; making the terms of the officers begin at the con- 

 clusion of each annual meeting ; and providing that if any 

 member shall fail for two years to pay his dues he shall 

 forfeit his membership. The report was accepted and the 

 amendments will come up for action next year. 



The Executive Committe also adopted a resolution 

 which was approved by the Society, limiting the sale of the 

 publications on hand, viz : The Proceedings of the Indian- 

 apolis and Buffalo meetings, to the members of the society 

 to fill out sets. This action was deemed necessary in view 

 of only a limited number of copies of these proceedings be- 

 ing on hand. 



The nominating committee reported the following officers 

 for the ensuing year: 



President — J. D. Hyatt, president of the New York Mi- 

 croscopical Society. 



Vice Presidents — Geo. E. Blackham, M. D., Dunkirk, 

 N. Y., and W. B. Reoner, M. D., Cleveland, O. 



Secretary — Prof. Albert H. Tuttle, Columbus, O. 



Treasurer — Geo. E. Fell, Buffalo, N. Y. 



Executive Committee — W. H. Brearly, Prof. J. H. Fisher, 

 Prof. Albert H. Chester. 



The report was adopted, and they were duly elected. 



" Demonstration of Capillary Circulation in Man," was 

 the title of a paper by Dr. D. C. Hawxhurst, of Battle 

 Creek, Mich. 



The process of examining the capillary circulation in the 

 lip of a man was described. The lower lip was rolled over 

 a support, and the microscope arranged to view the circu- 

 lation. 



Proper means were taken to steady the head. Clamps 

 were applied to the lips so as to cause an engorgement of 

 the capillary vessels. The method was that of a German 

 scientist. 



A power of about ioo diameters was used. The speaker 

 related many interesting experiments, and also explained 

 the effects produced by treating the lip with chloroform, 

 ammonia, acids, glycerine, etc. 



The paper was discussed by Dr. Seiler and Mr. Fell, 

 these gentlemen deeming the power too low to be of much 

 service. Dr. Seiler stated that other portions of the body 

 were better adapted for viewing the circulation than the lip, 

 and did not believe the method pursued would be fraught 

 with results of scientific value. 



The next paper was by Dr. Carl Seiler, of Philadelphia. 

 " Describing an Improvement in a Microscope Stage." He 

 said last year at a meeting of the society he set lorth the 

 necessity for certain improvements in the microscope of 

 the future, one of which was an increased movement of 

 the stage, giving at least four inches play in each direction. 

 Mr. Walmsley, agent for R. & J. Beck, cf London, had a 

 binocular made by that English firm, embodying the im- 

 provements suggested. Dr. Seiler exhibited the instru- 

 ment, which he said was particularly valuable in examin- 

 ing large specimens, such as sections of tumors, the vocal 

 organs, or anything requiring a large stage movement to 

 bring the whole of the specimen successively into play. 



W. H. Bullock, of Chicago, described a microscope 

 which he had specially arranged for examining rock sec- 



tions. It was arranged with improved facilities for minute 

 measurements, and had admirable arrangements for illumi- 

 nation of opaque objects, etc. 



He also described a new section cutter devised by Prof. 

 Burrill, of Illinois. It had some valuable features about it, 

 notably the manner of holding the knife so that it could be 

 inclined to any angle, with reference to the cutting surface. 

 The well-hole was so arranged that it could be raised and 

 lowered by the micrometer screw, carrying the material to 

 be cut with it. This, it was claimed, offered some advantage 

 over the ordinary " well hole." The arm which carried and 

 supported the knife worked on a brass plate, a correspond- 

 ing portion of the arm working in a groove cut in the plate, 

 insuring with even an unsteady hand a true and perfect sec- 

 tion. It was claimed that sections, the , - t jV - of an inch in 

 thickness, could be cut with this apparatus. 



Mr. W. H. Griffith, of Fairport, N. Y., read the last paper 

 of the Session, describing the new Griffith Club Portable 

 Microscope. He took from his pocket a small narrow case 

 which he opened. Inside was discovered the disjointed 

 parts of a microscope. On placing them together, which 

 was done in a very short time, a very complete instrument 

 was the result. With this little instrument, which we cannot 

 now describe very minutely, the lowest to >he highest 

 powers may be used. It is provided with the Society screw, 

 coarse and fine adjustment, the latter on a principle believed 

 to have never before been applied to the microscope, and 

 which is capable of being used on larger stands. The bodv 

 is composed of tubes which may be drawn out to the stand- 

 ard length of ten inches. In the field this little instru- 

 ment may be used to advantage, being provided with a 

 wood screw by which it may be secured to the side or 

 branch of a tree or even to a fence-rail. It may then be 

 used with the highest powers. The mirror is hung so that 

 it may be used for transmitted or reflected light. If the 

 owner is in need of a turn-table, by simply arranging a few 

 screws and laying the instrument down on its side he may 

 go to work " ringing " slides to his heart's content. The 

 instrument was made for Mr. Griffith by Messrs. Bausch 

 and Lomb, of Rochester, N. Y. 



Prof. T. J. Burrill, Professor of Botany and Horticulture 

 at the Illinois Industrial University, followed with a paper on 

 " The So-called Fire-Blight of the Pear and Twig-Blight of 

 the Apple Tree." His remarks, bearing as they do upon a 

 subject of general interest, are given at some length. 



He said the widespread and disastrous disease of the 

 Pear tree, called Fire-blight, and that no less prevalent and 

 alarming one known as Twig-Blight of the Apple tree, are 

 due to the same immediate agency. They are identical in 

 origin, and similar in their pathological characteristics, 

 as a priori reasoning might have indicated. The Quince 

 and probably other plants, among which may be named 

 the Butternut, the Lombardy Poplar, and the American 

 Aspen, also suffer from the same disease. From descrip- 

 tions it was very probable that the " yellows " in the Peach 

 will be found due to a similar cause. The immediate and 

 exciting cause is a living organism producing butyric fer- 

 mentation in the carbonaceous compounds, starch, etc., in 

 the cells of the affected plants, especially in those of the 

 bark outside of the liber. This organism, if really specifi- 

 cally distinct, is closely allied to the butyric vibrion of 

 Pasteur and Bacillus amylobacter of Van Tieghem. The 

 disease has been known in this country over ioo years. 

 Various theories have been advanced, and one by one dis- 

 proved, except the one of fungus growth. In 1878 the 

 writer announced to the Illinois Horticultural Society the 

 discovery of bacteria apparently connected with the dis- 

 ease. His investigations were carried on in an orchard 

 where there were 94 Apple trees, 20 Pear trees and 1 Quince. 

 " After finding myriads of bacteria in the fluids of the dis- 

 eased tissues," he said, " I inoculated several Pear and Ap- 

 ple trees with what to me, at the time, were unsatisfactory 

 but not uninstructive results. Beginning on the first day 

 of July, 1880, I experimented in various ways at different 

 times upon 66 trees of the Pear, Apple and Quince. Of the 

 numerous applications of the virus upon the unbroken 

 bark or leaves none were successful. Of the inoculations 

 there were successful 63 per cent, of the Pear, 30 per cent, 

 of the Apple, and 100 per cent, of the Quince. Upon the 

 Pear and Quince trees used for the experiments, the disease 

 appeared only in a single case except as the direct result 



