224 
REVIEW OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES. 
intermittent current with high degree, and made the following 
conclusions : . , , 
ist. The continued or intermittent current at high degree at¬ 
tenuates the toxines at the positive as well as at the negative pole. 
It is then not a polar action. 2d. The attenuating action is 
not in proportion to the quantity of electricity which has 
passed through the toxine. . 
In a second note the authors record experiments which prove 
that toxines attenuated by electricity become vaccinating. 
They are again brought to the conclusion that the attenuation 
of toxines is not in proportion with the quantity of electricity 
which passes through them, but its quality. Currents with high 
frequency have completely destroyed the toxicity of the dip 
theric toxine and that in the absence of all chemical action 
simply by molecular concussion. This antitoxic action of 
currents with high frequency has a very great importance to 
the clinical point of view. These currents being without ac¬ 
tion upon the sensibility and the motricity, as proved by Mr. 
d’ Assonval, it is to be hoped that they may be rendered suffici¬ 
ently powerful to destroy or attenuate the toxine in the organ¬ 
ism itself. 
For a third note, they record facts which demonstrate that 
electrified toxines increase the resistance of animals. 
In electrifying with currents at high frequency, a culture ot 
pyocyanic bacillus they have observed an attenuation of the 
chromogeneous function. This attenuation of that function 
seems due to the modification of the bouillon and not of the 
bacillus itself.— Soc. Biol. 
EFFECTS OF THE DIRECT REFLEX AND CENTRAL EXCITATION 
OF THE MESENTERIC VASO-MOTOR NERVES. 
By MM. L. Hallion and F. Franck. 
The authors have studied the action of the nervous system 
upon the intestinal circulation, with a volumetric apparatus, with 
the following results : < . A 
The mesenteric vaso-constrictors pass from the spinal corn 
in the sympathic chain by the thoracic communicating threads 
of the 5th dorsal. . . 
The excitation of these threads produces an intestinal vaso¬ 
constriction, which is at its maximum, at the point of emergency 
of the sphanchnic nerves and upon the trail of the cords which 
connect the afferent threads. # . 
There also exist mesenteric vaso-dilatateurs associated to 
