Societies and Academies

Abstract

LONDON. Royal Society, May 29.—Sir Archibald Geikie, K.C.B., president, in the chair.—Prof. A. B. Macallum: Acineta tuberosa: a study on the action of surface tension in determining the distribution of salts in living matter. In previous investigations it was found that the salts demonstrated microchemically to occur in the living cell were not uniformly diffused but were condensed or “localised” at points in its cytoplasm, or at parts of its surface. Amongst such salts were the compounds of potassium, which are very soluble and ara not known to form precipitates in nature. It was concluded that some other force than simple osmotic pressure was concerned in this distribution of the salts, especially in the cases where the condensations were in those portions of the cell surface where, from the deformation observed, it was inferred that a lowering of surface tension was involved. The explanation advanced was that surface tension was the factor primarily concerned in these condensations. Two years ago an investigation of the distribution of potassium salts in MAcineta tuberosa, a marine Suctorian Protozoan, gave results which appear to place the matter beyond doubt. It would seem, from further investigations, that surface tension not only determines the condensations in the films and elsewhere in the organisms, but also maintains these condensations against the forces of diffusion.—Sir David Bruce, Majors D. Harvey and A. E. Hamerton, and Lady Bruce: Morphology of various strains of the trypanosome causing disease in man in Nyasaland. IV., The Mzimba strain.—Helen L. M. Pixell: Notes on Toxoplasma gondii.—J. C. F. Fryer: An investigation by pedigree breeding into the polymorphism of Papilio polytes, Linn.—Dr. S. Russ and Dr. Helen Chambers: The action of radium rays upon the cells of Jensen's rat sarcoma.