Abstract
THE current number of the Journal of Anatomy and Physiology commences with a paper by Dr. A. Ransome on the relative powers of fresh and previously used pepsine in the digestion of albumen, in which it is demonstrated that pepsine has greater activity after it has been used than when fresh, in which respect it is shown to agree with ptyalin, as shown by Dr. Foster, and with pancreatin according to Thiersch.—Following is a contribution on the anatomy of the cutis of the dog, by Dr. Stirling, with two plates, republished from the Berichte d. Math. Phys. Classe der König. Sächs. Gesel. d. Wiss., 1875.—Mr. R. H. A. Schofield makes observations on taste-goblets in the epiglottis of the dog and cat, closely resembling the same structure in the tongue.—Dr. J. Blake, of San Francisco, describes the physiological action of the salts of beryllium, aluminium, ytrium, and ceiium, by injecting them into the blood.—Dr. Brunton shows that Condurango is physiologically inert.—Mr. J. C. Ewart has a note on the abdominal pores and urogenital sinus of the lamprey, in which he demonstrates that the ureters and internal abdominal pores open into a urogenital sinus which opens behind the rectum on a papilla.—Mr. E. Thurston determines the length of the systole of the heart, as estimated from sphygmograpti tracings, in which, from a series of measurements, he verifies Mr. A. H. Ganod's law that in health the systole, as indicated in the radial artery, is constant for any pulse-rate, and varies as the cube root of the rapidity.—Mr. A. M. Marshall explains the mode of ovtposition of Amphioxus, verifying Kowalevsky's observation that the ova escape by the rnouth.—Mr. F. Darwin describes the structure of the snail's heart histologicaliy. No nervous mechanism was found. The contractile tissue is striated, and the fibres of the auricle and ventricle are continuous.—Dr. Stirling notes the effects of division of the sympathetic nerve in the neck of young animals.—Prof. Turner describes the structure of the non-gravid uterine mucous membrane in the kangaroo, and makes a note on the dentition of the narwhal.—Mr. F. M. Balfour continues his valuable account of the development of the Elasmobranch fishes, with five excellent plates and many woodcuts.—Mr. P. H. Carpenter makes remarks on the anatomy of the arms of Crinoids, his results being arrived at from sections of decalcified specimens.—Dr. Foster describes some effects of Upas Antiar on the frog's heart, demonstrating that the resulting tetanus is brought about by an extraordinary prolongation of the diastole, and not by a too rapid sequence of beats. The arguments for and against the existence of both accelerator and inhibitory fibres in the heart are discussed, in relation with the influence of antiar; and the assumption of the existence of specific accelerator fibres is shown to be unnecessary.—Dr. Curnow notes variations in the arrangement of the extensor muscles of the fore-arm.— Dr. Brunton explains a simple method of demonstrating the effect of heat and poisons upon the heart of the frog.—Mr. G. A. Berry and Prof. Rutherford note with reference to Pfliiger's law of contraction, that the excitability and length of the portion of nerve traversed by the voltaic stream must be taken into account in studying the changes of the electrotonic state.—Prof. Rutherford notes with regard to the action of the internal intercostal muscles, their elevating action, as rendered evident by binding similarly situated elastic bands to the ribs themselves.—Mr. Reoch has a paper on the oxidation of urea.—Mr. R. Hughes describes an improved freezing microtome, in which ether spray is the cold-producer.—Dr. S. Coupland records an example of Meckel's diverticulum in man.—The Report on Physiology, by Dr. Stirling, concludes the number.
Article PDF
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Scientific Serials . Nature 13, 532–533 (1876). https://doi.org/10.1038/013532a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/013532a0