Societies and Academies

Abstract

PARIS. Academy of Sciences, July 12.—M. Henri Deslandres in the chair.—L. Maquenne and E. Demoussy: The catalytic action of copper salts on the oxidation by air of ferrous compounds. Copper salts accelerate the oxidation of ferrous salts by air, even in dilutions so great as 0.2 mgr. of copper per 100 c.c. of solution. The amount of oxidation depends on the nature of the acid present, and is in direct relation with the degree of hydrolytic dissociation.—P. A. Dangeard: Vacuome, plastidome, and spherome in Asparagus verticillatus.—F. Widal, P. Abrami, anI M. N. lancovesco: The possibility of promoting the hæmoclasic crisis by the intravenous injection of portal blood collected during the digestive period. The action of the liver on the proteids of incomplete disintegration arising from digestion and carried by the portal vein. An experimental proof that the gastro, intestinal mucous membrane absorbs not only aminoacids, but also compounds in which the proteolysis is incomplete. These products are present in the portal vein for about two hours and a half after a meal, and their injurious action upon the general circulation is prevented by the liver.—H. de Chardonnet: The influence of the American rocking-chair upon the respiration.—J. A. L. Waddell: The economical use of special alloy steels in the construction of bridges. The higher elastic limit of a special steel compared with that of an ordinary carbon steel may more than compensate for the increased price. Some detailed examples are given.—C. E. Guillaume: The anomaly of elasticity of the nickel steels: The realisation of an elinvar and its application to chronometry. The limitations of nickel steel watch-springs are discussed, and a new ternary nickel-chromium steel alloy suggested, containing chromium with small quantities of manganese, tungsten, and carbon equivalent to 12 per cent. of chromium. The results with springs of this material used. with a balance-wheel made of a single metal have proved extremely satisfactory. The change of temperature from 0° C. to 30°C. with a watch fitted with one of these springs was two seconds in twenty-four hours, and the rate was practically a linear function of the temperature.—G. Fubini: Projectively applicable surfaces.—L. E. J. Brouwer: Enumeration of the classes of representations of a surface on another surface.—M. Galbrun: The application of the equations of elasticity to the deforrnations of a helical spring.—P. Chevenard: Study of the elasticity of torsion of nickel steels with a high proportion of chromium. A study of three series of ferronickels containing approximately 5, 10, and 15 per cent. of chromium. The results are given graphically in three diagrams.—E: Jouguet: Remarks on the laws of resistance of fluids.—G. Sagnac: The two simultaneous mechanics and their real connections.—M. Pauthenler: Study of the ratio of the absolute retardations in carbon bisuiphide for increasing durations of charge. The appearance of electro-striction. When the duration of the charge of the Kerr condenser much exceeds a millionth of a second, the ratio of the retardations in carbon bisulphide is no longer equal to –2. The contraction of the liquid under the influence of the electric field, electro-striction, complicates the results; when the time of change is 8.1 × 10^-6 seconds, the effect of electro-striction exactly compensates the double refraction fbr the vibrations perpendicular to the field.—C. FlOrisson: The galena-metal contact rectifier. Artificial increase of sensitheness.—H. Weiss: The constituents formed by reciprocal penetration of zinc and copper at a temperature where one of the twO metals and all their alloys are in the solid state. Theconstant tern- perature required for these experiments was secured by the use of a sulphur vapour bath under a reduced pressure, the temperature thus obtained varying only at most i from 410° C. Micrographic methods were used for studying the resulting alloys, and two photographs illustrating the results are reproduced.—MM. Lespieau and Garreau: The phenylpropines. The reaction between benzyl chloride and the monosodium derivative of acetylene failed to give benzylacetylene, the isomer phenylmethylacetylene being the only product. The same substance was obtained by starting with epidibromohydrin and phenylmagnesium bromide and treating the resulting compound, C₆H₅.CH₂,CBr.CH₂, with alcoholic potash. A yield of 40 per cent. of the desired benzylacetylene was obtained by the interaction of phenyimagnesiurn bromide and propylene tribromide.—G. Mignonac: The catalytic hydrogenation of nitriles: mechanism of the formation of secondary and tertiary amines. The best explanation of the secondary reduction products arising from the reduction of benzonitrile by hydrogen in presence of nickel and working in an anhydrous liquid is that the primary reduction product is benzaldimine, C₆H₅CH:NH. This can give benzylamine by direct reduction and benzalbenzylamine by condensation, and the latter compound has been isolated in quantity.—G. Zeil: The proportional constant relating seismic frequency with rainfall.—R. Abrard: The geological constitution of Djebel Tselfat, Western Morocco.—G. Arnaud: A bacterial disease of ivy, Hedera helix.—C. Porcher: Milk and apthous fever. Comparisons of the quantity and quality of the milk from apthous teats of a cow when the milk is retained and drawn off.—A. Vandel: Reproduction of the Planaria and the meaning of impregnation in these animals.—M. de Laroquette: Analogies and differ- ences of biological action of the various parts of the solar spectrum.—C. Perez: A new Cryptoniscian, Enthylacus trivinctus, an intrapalleal parasite of a Sacculina. A case of parasitism of the third degree.—J. Dragoiu and M. Faué-Fremiet: Histogenesis and time of appearance of different pulmonary tissues in the sheen.—G. Bertrand and Mme. Rosenblatt: Does chloropicrin act upon soluble ferments? From experiments carried out with sucrase (from yeast and from Aspergillus niger), amygdalinase, urease, catalase, zvmase, laccase, and tyrosinase, it vats found that chioropicrin exerts only a feeble inhibiting, action on soluble ferments, and some other explanation must be found for its highly toxic action upon living cells.