SCIENCE AND. INDUSTRY. 
ROYAL SOCIETY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA. 
At the May meeting, a paper by T. Brailsford Robertson, Ph.D., D.Sc. (Profes- 
sor of Physiology and Biochemistry in the University of Adelaide), on “ Studies 
in Comparative Physiology 1. Observations on the Physiology of the Fly’s Intes- 
tine,” was read. The intestine of an insect represents a rhythmically contract- 
ing automatic structure, in which the contractile elements are striated muscle 
fibres. In the mammalia, on the contrary, all rhythmically contractile organs, 
with the exception of the heart, are composed of smooth muscle fibres. The 
fly’s intestine, therefore, affords an opportunity of ascertaining whether the 
behaviour of striated and smooth muscle fibres towards various muscle stimulants 
or depressants is determined by their structure, or, on the contrary, by the 
nature of the functions which they perform. The author finds that there exists 
in the fly’s intestine, a gradient of Ca/Na thresholds above and below which con- 
tractions or peristalsis cannot occur, and between which lies an optimum ratio. 
The thresholds and optimal ratios increase from the rectal extremity upwards, 
being least in the posterior rectum and highest in the distal intestine. In its 
reactions to Curari, Atropine, Nicotine, Pilocarpine, Codeine, Chloretone, Adre- 
naline, Ergotoxine, Ergostonine, Ergamine, Digitaline, and Pituitrine, the muscle 
of the fly’s intestine resembles its functional similar, the vertebrate smooth 
muscle. fibre, rather than its structure similar, the vertebrate striated muscle 
fibre. 
ESSENTIAL Or rRoM Native Pine, Sournm AUSTRALIA. 
By H. H, Finlayson (communicated. by Prof. Rennie, D.Sc.). 
The tree yielding the oil here described was found in fairly dense scrub near 
Tailem Bend, and about 85 miles south-east of Adelaide. It attracted attention 
on account of its very numerous fruits, and the unusually large quantity of oil 
which these contained. L 
Specimens of fruits and foliage were submitted to Mr. Maiden, Government 
Botanist of New South Wales, and were pronounced by him to be characteristic 
of Callitris terrucosa. 
On steam distillation of the fruits, a nearly colourless oil, of turpentine odour, 
was obtained in a yield of 2.49 per cent.; the yield recorded for this Species by 
Baker and Smith (Pines of Australia), is .44 per cent. 
The oil had the following constants:— 
DY = Oe [a]p"* a= = UES i 
Esters = 29%. — Alcohols = 1 %. 
[@] Pinene was present to the extent of 85--90 %, the locro modification predominating, but the 
remaining constituents were not identified with any certainty owing to the small quantity available. 
ROYAL SOCIETY OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 
At the June meeting, Mr. R. H. Cambage, F.L.S., read a paper on “ A New 
Species of Queensland Ironbark.” This new Eucalyptus comes from about 120 
miles westerly from Cairns, in tropical Queensland, and furnishes a good red 
timber. It was found growing on granite formation in open forest country, and 
resembles H. crebra in bark and timber, but differs in the shape of buds and 
fruits, which latter are hemispherical, with exserted valves. 
Henry G. Smith, F.C.S., and A. R. Penfold, B.C.S., Technological Museum, 
Sydney, contributed a paper on the “Manufacture of Thymol, Menthone, and. 
Menthol from Eucalyptus Oils.”: Work was undertaken-in order to determine 
the molecular structure of Piperitone, the peppermint ketone of Eucalyptus oils: 
Piperitone is a menthenone with the carbonyl group in the 3 position. When 
oxidised with ferric chloride in the ordinary way, 25 per cent. of thymol was 
produced, By reducing piperitone with hydrogen in the presence of a nickel 
catalyst, an almost quantitative yield of menthone was obtained, which, on 
further reduction with sodium in aqueous ether, produced menthol. The abun- 
dance of piperitone obtainable from Bucalyptus dives makes this ketone probably, 
the best source for the manufacture of thymol and menthone. 
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