Abstract
LONDON. Royal Society, January 27.—Prof. C. S. Sherrington, president, in the chair.—K. Sassa and Prof. C. S. Sherrington: The myogram of the flexor-reflex evoked by a single break-shock. In the spinal preparation excess of the reflex contraction over maximal twitch indicates that summation of successive contraction-waves is present in the former. Repetitive discharge from the reflex centre occurs, therefore, in response to a stimulus consisting of a single induction shock.—Sir Almroth Wright: “Intertraction” between albuminous substances and saline solutions. It is demonstrated by means of experiments in which serum is directly superimposed upon heavier salt solutions, and of corresponding experiments in which lighter salt solutions are superimposed upon heavier serum, that the fluids thus brought into conjunction interpenetrate with extreme rapidity. The phenomena are due to an interaction between the salts and the albuminous substances. The designationn “intertraction” is applied to this form of interaction; and it is suggested that these forces supplement diffusion. In supplementary experiments it is shown tflat by intertraction microbes lodged in serum are rapidly carried down into heavier, or caught up into lighter, salt solutions.—Dr. S. Russ, Dr. Helen Chambers, and Gladwys M. Scott: The local and generalised action of radium and X-rays upon tumour growth. The local effects of the β- and γ-rays from radium and X-rays upon rat tumours, under varying conditions, were obtained by exposing the tumour only to measured quantities of radiation. When large doses are employed destructive action upon the tumour-cells is observed; as the dose is reduced the action tends to become stimulative in character, so that the tumour-cells grow more rapidly. The generalised effects of the rays used were obtained bv submitting the whole animal to the radiation, the tumour being screened. Large generalised doses could not be borne by the animals: with repeated small doses an increase in body-weight and in resistance towards tumour growth was observed. The bearing of the observations on radiation treatment in man is discussed.
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Societies and Academies. Nature 106, 778–779 (1921). https://doi.org/10.1038/106778a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/106778a0