480 Scientific Intelligence, 



quantitative relation between the alcohol and carbon dioxide 

 formed are the same as exists in the products of alcoholic fermen- 

 tation with yeast. Several other papers deal with the chemical 

 aspects of problems relating to immunity and the composition of 

 proteid substances. l. b. m. 



8. Ionization produced by Corpuscles of Radium. — Professor 

 Townshend estimates that the value of this ionization must be 

 at least 13. J. J. Durack of Trinity College, Cambridge, 

 believes that this number is seventy-six times too large. He 

 finds that the mean free path of the Becquerel ray corpuscles in 

 air at l mm is about 6 mm . This very large value accounts for the 

 very small absorption of the deflectable Becquerel rays. — Phil. 

 Mag., May, 1903, pp. 550-561. j. t. 



9. Condensation of Radio-active effects. — Professor Ruther- 

 ford and Mr. Soddy with the aid of liquid air show that the 

 condensed emanations from thorium and radium possess a true 

 vapor pressure and that the emanations have the usual properties of 

 ordinary gaseous matter, as far as condensation and volatilization 

 are concerned. These emanations are also occluded by solids 

 under certain conditions and therefore seem to be gaseous in 

 nature.— Phil Mag., May, 1903, pp. 561-576. j. t. 



10. Radio-active Change. — Professor Rutherford and Mr. 

 Soddy, in a discussion upon the amount of energy stored in radio- 

 active substances, hazard the suggestion that atomic energy in 

 general is of a high order of magnitude and that the existence of 

 this energy accounts for the stability of the chemical elements. 



The maintenance of solar energy may be due to the available 

 internal energy of the atoms. — Phil. Mag., May, 1903, pp. 576- 

 591. J. t. 



11. Removal of the Potential Difference by Heating in Oil. — 

 J. Brown, F.R.S., in earlier papers has suggested that the dif- 

 ference of potential due to contact of metals might arise from 

 the chemical action of films condensed on their surfaces. His 

 recent work confirms this theory. On the first immersion of the 

 metals in cold oil the films acted as if in air though with less 

 deflection, due probably to minute conductivity of the oil, which 

 reduced the potential difference. When heated to above the 

 boiling point of water the films evaporated and left nothing to 

 act electrolytically on the plates. After removal of the oil the 

 moisture of the air found access to the plates and a difference of 

 potential was again observed. — Phil. Mag., May, 1903, pp. 591- 

 594 J. t. 



12. On the Thickness of the liquids formed by Condensation 

 at the Surface of a Solid. — Dr. G. J. Parks refers to the previous 

 knowledge in regard to condensation of liquids and gases on the 

 surfaces of solids. The author was led to consider the quantity 

 of moisture concerned in surface pressure, in the Pouillet effect, 

 and in surface action in general. He concludes that in all cases 

 where condensation takes place at a solid surface, and at a tem- 

 perature not below the dew point, the thickness of the surface 



