80 
SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
Changes affecting Soil from Sterilisation.* — Herr L. Richter has 
found that soil used for cultivating plants undergoes certain changes 
from sterilisation. The sterilisation was discontinuous, at the tem- 
jierature of boiling water for 6 hours on several consecutive days. 
A comparison of the results showed three principal changes : the 
power of the soil to absorb water was very variable if the earth were 
moistened previously ; while the total amount of nitrogenous matter 
remained unaltered, a certain part became very soluble; the organic 
matter of the soil became highly soluble. 
New Stopper for Fermentation Flasks.f— Herr J. Wortmann de- 
scribes two kinds of stoppers for fermentation flasks. The first, which 
Fig rj has been used for years, consists of a U-shaped 
tube, one leg of which dips into fluid contained in 
another tube of larger size, and having a lateral 
outlet tube directed upward. Either air can pass 
in or carbonic acid pass out, but only through the 
fluid in the larger tube. The second is an improve- 
ment of recent date, and is more convenient for 
weighing. In this, the outer end of the tube from the 
flask is surrounded by an inverted cup or glass sac, 
which is fixed to the tube by its 1 lip in such a way 
that two holes are left. This cup is, in its turn, 
surrounded by another open at the top and covered 
with a small glass cap to exclude the dust. Hence 
the cups form a receptacle for holding fluid, and 
this receptacle is on the one hand in communication 
with the outer air, and on the other, through the two 
holes or gaps left at the lip, with the fermentation 
flask. The character and construction of the appa- 
ratus is easily made out from the illustration (fig. 7). 
Airol, a new Antiseptic.^ — Airol is one of the 
numerous antiseptics so easily made by the manu- 
facturing chemist. It is intended to be a substitute 
for iodoform, and its virtue is derived from its 
easily parting with iodine. It is a greenish-grey 
bulky powder, and is a compound of iodine, bis- 
muth, and gallic acid. It is odourless, tasteless, and parts easily with 
iodine. It is poisonous if absorbed, and, therefore, while useful as an 
external application, is not suitable for internal administration. The 
experiments made with airol are stated to have given more satisfactory 
results than those made with iodoform. 
(2) Preparing- Objects. 
Study of the Brain of the Bee.§ — Dr. F. C. Kenyon, in study- 
ing the brain of the common honey-bee, treated a thousand or more by 
* Landwirthschaft. Versuclistat., xlvii. (1896) pp. 269-74. See Centralbl. f. 
Bakteriol. u. Parasitenk., 2 le Abt., ii. (1896) pp. 623-4. 
t Bot. Ztg., liv. (1896) pp. 321-5 (2 figs.). 
x S.A. aus Be it rage z. Klin. Chirurgie, xv. pt. 1. See Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. 
Parasitenk., l te Abt., xx. (1896) pp. 714-5. 
§ Journ. Comp. Neurol., vi. (1896) pp. 137-41. 
Fig. 7. 
