98 
POPULAR SCIENCE REVIEW. 
physicians were making their examination both cried, but, a few minutes 
after, one went to sleep, while the other remained awake. When either 
head would cry the perfect leg which was nearest that head kicked and drew 
up, while the leg nearest the other head remained quiet. When either 
cried, the toes on the imperfect foot would move, but the limb remained 
stationary. 
Metamorphosis of Tissue while Fasting. — At a recent meeting of the 
Naturwissenschaftlichen Klasse of the Viennese Academy of Sciences, Prof. 
Seegen communicated a series of investigations upon the metamorphosis of 
albumen during fasting, which are thus given by the “Lancet.” The subject 
of his experiments was a young girl, who, in consequence of a stricture of 
the oesophagus, was only able to consume very small quantities of nourish- 
ment. During a whole month the daily ingesta amounted to but 35 grammes 
of milk, and about 20 c.c. of water. A teaspoonful of this mixture was 
taken at intervals of about an hour. After lasting for four weeks, the diffi- 
culty of swallowing gradually disappeared, and the quantity of milk swal- 
lowed rose to 210 grammes per diem. The most important results obtained 
were the following : — 1. The quantity of urine excreted daily amounted to 
185 c.c. It was of very dark colour, possessed a strong acid reaction, and 
frequently deposited a considerable quantity of urates. 2. The amount of 
urea excreted daily, on an average of twelve days, was 8-9 grammes = 4T N. 
The amount of N. ingested with the milk was 0-29 gramme ; the excess of 
N. excreted, therefore, amounted to 3'8 grammes. This quantity of nitrogen 
is contained in about 25 grammes of dry albumen, and the patient must thus 
have used up that weight of the dry albumen of her own body. The chief 
tissue furnishing this would of course be the muscles, and if that amount 
of dry albumen be calculated as coming from fresh muscle, 112 grms. of the 
latter would be used up. 3. The excretion of water is not covered by the 
water of the metamorphosed tissue. The organism, therefore, is dryer or 
poorer in water during fasting. 4. With increased supply of food the ex- 
cretion of water through the urine rose, whilst the excretion of urea re- 
mained almost unchanged. 5. The metamorphosis of the albuminates 
during fasting, so far as they are represented by the excretory products of 
the urine, bears the proportion to the normal metamorphosis of 1 : 4 or 
1:5. 
Inoculation of Cancer vn the Lower Animals. — At the meeting of the British 
Association in Edinburgh, Dr. John Chiene read a paper entitled “An Ex- 
perimental Inquiry into some of the Results of Inoculation in the Lower 
Animals.” The paper described a series of experiments, in which rabbits 
were inoculated with cancerous matter obtained from the human subject. 
The result may be shortly stated in the following words : — (1) That cancer 
cannot be produced in rabbits; (2) that cysts, containing cheesy matter, 
arise at the points of inoculation ; (3) that these cysts do not differ from 
the local appearances which arise after the application of any irritant to the 
subcutaneous tissue of the rabbit. 
The Functions of the Uvula. — A paper on this subject was read at the 
meeting of the British Association at Edinburgh, by Sir Duncan Gibb, Bart. 
Anatomists describe the action of the uvular muscle as an elevator which 
shortens the uvula. It is, however, a sentinel to the fauces, especially in 
