Abstract
THE current number of the Journal of Anatomy and Physiology—the second under the new system—commences with a paper by Dr. G. Thier and Mr. J. C. Ewart, entitled “A Contribution to the Anatomy of the Lens.” The fibres of that organ are stated to be composed of a number of flattened bands, termed primary fibres, and to be covered with elongated flat cells resting on a structureless membrane.—Dr. Mclntosh describes the central nervous system, the cephalic sacs, and other points in the anatomy of the Lineidæ, demonstrating that in the Nemerteans the nervous system is highly developed, and that the cephalic sacs are special organs of sense, their internal surface being in direct communication with the surrounding water by the ciliated duct, whilst the fibrous peduncle places their cells in continuity with the central nervous system. The paper is profusely illustrated.—Prof. Rutherford, who has been assisted by M. Vignal, records his experiments on the biliary secretion of the dog. In almost every case the animal had fasted about eighteen hours. Under the influence of curare a tube was tied into the bile duct. The amount of bile which flowed in each quarter of an hour was measured. The cholagogue action of croton oil is shown to be nil; that of podophylline considerable; that of aloes powerful; that of rhubarb well marked; that of senna feeble; that of colchicum considerable, by making the bile watery; that of taraxacum very feeble; that of scammony feeble; that of calomel probably nil; that of gamboge nil; that of castor-oil nil. The memoir, with its valuable diagrams, deserves special attention.—Dr. Galabin contributes an article on the pulse-wave in the different arteries of the body. The author, we are glad to see, has modified his previous statement as to the modification of a double wave the result of a single impulse, in the explanation of the predicrotic undulation in the sphygmograph trace. He gives an explanation of this as well as of the predicrotic wave. Some of his arguments are, we think, based on too few facts, whilst others are complicated by their pathological nature.—Mr. D. J. Cunningham has some notes on the broncho-œsophageal and pleuro-œsophageal muscles of man, first described by Hyrtl.—Dr. Stirling contributes a memoir on the summation of electrical stimuli applied to the skin, in which, from an excellent series of experiments on the frog, he demonstrates, according to the view of W. Baxt, that reflex movements can only be liberated by repeated impulses communicated to the nervous centres.—Mr. F. M. Balfour commences a series of papers to ultimately constitute a monograph on the development of Elasmobranch Fishes. Commencing with the ripe ovarian ovum, its description is followed by that of the segmentation, in the volume before us. This monograph will be an invaluable adjunct to that on the hen's egg, by Dr. M. Foster and the same author, and is a most promising production of the Biological school of the University of Cambridge.—Prof. Huxley writes on the nature of the craniofacial apparatus of Petromyzon, a specially favoured region of that author. The plates are unfortunately delayed for three months.—Mr. S. M. Bradley has a note on the secondary arches of the foot.—Prof. Turner, lastly, gives a note on the placental area in the uterus of the cat after delivery, in which he shows that in delivery not all the mucosa of the placentai area comes away, its deeper structures being partly left.—Prof. Turner and Mr. Cunningham's report on the progress of anatomy concludes the part.
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Scientific Serials . Nature 13, 237 (1876). https://doi.org/10.1038/013237a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/013237a0