Abstract
PARIS Academy of Sciences, September 25.—M. Blanchard in the chair.—A report was given of the ceremony at the recent in auguration of a statue to Antoine-César Becquerel at Châtillon-sur-Loing, on September 24, when addresses were delivered by MM. Cochery, Dumas, Fremy, Mercadier, Barral, and the Mayor.—On a question of principle which relates to the theory of shock of imperfectly elastic bodies, by M. Kesal.—Outbreaks of plague in Kurdistan during the last twelve years, by M. Thalozan. The facts are thought to afford further proof of the independence of most of the plague-centres, the small tendency of the disease to spread beyond a small number of localities, and the limited duration of the epidemics, even in their gravest form. The north and north-west of Persia are the parts where plague-epidemics are less rare.—Possibility of introducing a tube into the larynx without producing pain or any reaction, by M. Brown-Sequard. He produces local anaesthesia in mammalia by directing a rapid current of carbonic acid on the upper part of the larynx (through an incision), for a variable time (fifteen seconds to two or three minutes). The effect lasts two to eight minutes after stoppage.—A telegram from the Emperor of Brazil (dated Rio, September 12, 6h. 10m.), announced the observation (at Rio Observatory) of a brilliant comet; estimated position in the morning, ascension 10h.,declination2°S. “probably Pcna's comet expected.—On a comet observed at Nice, by MM. Thollon and Gouy. This was visible near the sun on September 18, at mid day, to the naked eye, when the direct solar rays were masked. The spectrum had for essential character the presence of the bright lines of sodium (fine and perfectly separate) in the nucleus and parts near. A slight displacement was held to indicate withdrawal from the earth. No part of the comet showed bands of carbon, nor any band or line but those of sodium (probably because of a masking by diffuse light). On the morning of the 2ist the comet had become invisible.—M. Flammarion com municated telegrams from Spain, Portugal, the South of France, Algeria, and Italy, announcing observations of a comet on Sep tember 17, 18, and 19.—On an observation of the great comet of 1882, seen from a balloon, by M. de Fonvielle. M. Mallet made the-ascent at his request (having keener vision), and took some measurements. The diameter of the comet was about two-tenths of that of the sun, and the distance of the comet's centre from that of the sun about 2.3 subjective diameters of the srtn. The cometary sphere was penetrated by an isosceles cone, sym metrically placed to the line of centres, penetrating to two-thirds of its vertical meridian plane. The length of the apothem of the cone was about a solar radius.—Description of a complete regular dodecahedron, by M. Barbier.—On the development of Alcyonarians, by MM. Kowalewsky and Marion.—On the histological structure of the digestive tube of Holothuria tubulosa, by M. Sourdan.—Analysis of the milk of Galibi women at the Jardin d'Acclimatation, by Mdme. Brés. The milk is rich in butter and lactose, and there is very little casein.
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Societies and Academies . Nature 26, 568 (1882). https://doi.org/10.1038/026568b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/026568b0