204 



Scientific Proceedings (128) 



A luer syringe, graduated in hundredths of a c.c, with a blunt 

 needle corresponding to the lumen of the capillary tube, serves 

 very well for filling the tubes, which are held nearly perpendicular 

 while filling, thus avoiding the entrance of air. 



Successive readings did not vary more than 0.03 degree and 

 were often not more than 0.01 degree apart. The further technic 

 and the calculations are carried out in the usual way. 



The availability of the method is shown by the following re- 

 sults of a determination in which this method was employed : 



Saccharose 



solution 

 percentage. 



Sp. Gr. 



Rotation 



read in: 



Spec, rotation in : 



50 mm. tube 



100 mm. 



50 mm. 



100 mm. 



4.839 



1.021 



1.66° 



3.32° 



67.18 



67.18 



4.860 



1.022 



1.78 



3.36 



66.84 



67.20 



5.360 



1.026 



1.95 



3.68 



66.61 



66.90 



9.140 



1.036 



3.18 



6.34 



67.24 



67.10 



10.120 



1.038 



3.52 



7.01 



67.00 



66.70 



The table gives an average of +66.98 instead of +66.73, the 

 theoretical value, for a 5 per cent, solution, and +67.00 instead 

 of +66.65, the theoretical value for a 10 per cent, solution. 



101 (2061) 



Studies on the physiology of the parathyroids- 



By HARALD A. SALVESEN (by invitation). 



[From the Physiological Institute of the University of Christiania, 



Norway.] 



We possess at the present time no exact knowledge concerning 

 the function of the parathyroids. There are many theories, but 

 only three have gained some importance, namely that the para- 

 thyroids control ( 1 ) the guanidine metabolism and by doing so 

 regulate the tonus of the muscles; (2) the calcium metabolism; 

 (3) the acid-base equilibrium and their removal cause alkalosis. 

 The parathyroids also are supposed to control the sugar meta- 

 bolism to some extent. 



