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application. The whole problem of available powerfor the service of man is a question of the possiblemode of transformation of the various forms of energy.Physical research has shown the laws which governthese transformations, but the new knowledge arisingout of radio-active and associated problems has pointedto the indisputable fact that within the atoms a vastsource of energy exists. The question that confrontsthe physicist to-day is whether this source of energymay be made available. Only a comparativelyminute fraction of the atoms liberate any of theirenergy spontaneously, these being the radio-activeones. The probability of releasing energy on a largescale from the atoms which are the bricks of thestructure we call the world, is difficult to estimate,but atomic studies are a necessary precursor to it.Medical interest in physical research has received agreat stimulus as electricity and the many forms ofradiation become more and more wielded in its service.

It is impossible to read of the many benefactionsto research in all its forms in America without someregrets that these are such seldom events in thiscountry. Here the academic world is not, at thepresent time, getting the number of men it shouldto devote themselves to pure research. Should thisstate of affairs continue it will be a bad day for

physical research, and the British school of physicistswill hardly maintain its proud record. The need isnot so much for institutes, since excellent laboratoriesexist throughout the country ; what is wanted isfacilities whereby men can carry out researches afterqualification and before taking up senior appointmentswhich carry a livelihood with them.

OCULAR REACTIONS IN ANAPHYLAXIS.

RECENT experiments have shown to what an

extraordinary extent the excitability of the smoothmuscle of the uterus, intestine, blood-vessels, andlungs can be increased in guinea-pigs sensitised byanaphylaxis. R. Kodamal investigated the smoothmuscle of the eyeball and its surroundings in guinea-pigs sensitised by the injection of 0-01 c.cm. and inother experiments by injecting 2-5 c.cm. of horseserum under the skin. The anaphylactic sensibilitywas after a few weeks produced by dropping the sameserum into the conjunctiva, or by intra-orbital,intravenous, or subcutaneous injection, controlexperiments being made on non-sensitised guinea-pigs. The palpebral fissure and pupil were accuratelymeasured. In both normal and sensitised animalsthe application of horse serum to the conjunctivacaused at once a dilatation of the palpebral fissureand pupil, followed by narrowing of both. In sen-sitised animals the reaction was both quicker and moremarked. The primary dilatation was due to thestimulation of the smooth elevator fibres of theeyelids and the dilator of the iris. The secondarynarrowing of the palpebral fissure and iris is dueto two factors-decrease of the tonus of the tarsalmuscle and dilator iridis, and contraction of thesphincter iridis and congestion of blood. Theprimary stimulation of the smooth muscle of theeyelids and dilator iridis requires only a very smalldose of the anaphylactic poison, whilst the sphincterpupillse is acted on later and is brought into actionwith more difficulty. These reactions of the smoothmuscles of the guinea-pig seem to show that theterminations of the sympathetic nerve as well as

those of the oculo-motorius are affected by theanaphylactic state. Injection of horse serum intothe orbital cavity, as well as intravenous injection,both in normal and sensitised animals, caused increasedsecretion of the lacrymal and Harderian glands aswell as vaso-motor disturbances, and sometimeshaemorrhage from the epibulbar and retinal vessels.In anaphylactic death there was a sudden contractionof the pupil. All the reactions occurred equally,whether normal horse serum was used or serum thathad been heated for some time at 56° C.

1 Jour, of Infectious Diseases, vol. xxviii., 1921.

THE INFLUENCE OF ARSENICAL PREPARA-TIONS ON CUTANEOUS TESTS.

AKS)’;N)<’ has a selective faction upon the skinin a number of ways not yet clearly understood.()J’. Albert Strickler, 1 professor of dermatologyand syphilology at the Temple University, Phil-adelphia, has carried out a series of investigations todetermine the influence of various arsenical prepara-tions on the luetin, Pirquet, and anaphylactic foodtests. The influence of a repetition of the luetin testwas first examined without any arsenical preparationbeing used. Two Wasserrnann tests were made oneach patient, both of which had to be negative beforethe cases were regarded as eligible. In the repetition ofthe luetin test positive reactions were obtained in threeout of 14 cases. Dr. Strickler suggests that the positivereaction was due to sensitisation of the skin producedby the first inoculation of dead spirochaetes. Theinfluence of intravenous injection of arsphenamin onthe luetin test was then examined in 17 patientssuffering from various skin affections, two negativeWassermann tests as in the first series having firstbeen obtained. The patients were given from twoto five injections of 0-4 g. before the luetin test wasrepeated in each case. Nine of the patients gave apositive luetin test on repetition, and eight respondednegatively. Intravenous injection of cacodylate ofsoda acted in the same manner as arsphenamin, onlymore feebly. A study of the influence of the intra-venous injection of arsphenamin on the Pirquet testshowed that arsphenamin acted on the tuberculintest in the same way as it had acted on the luetintest, as in three out of ten cases a previously negativePirquet test became positive. On the other hand, theanaphylactic food test made by either the endermicor scratch method did not seem to be influenced bythe intravenous administration of either arsphenaminor cacodylate. ____

SILVER SALVARSAN.

Dr. H. E. Michelson and Dr. David M. Siperstein,2 2of the University of Minnesota, discuss the therapeuticvalue of silver salvarsan or silver arsphenamin as itis known in America. The drug was suggested byEhrlich shortly before his death, and first usedclinically by Kolle in March, 1918, since when it hasenjoyed a considerable vogue in Germany, but doesnot appear to have been used to any extent in thiscountry or in the United States. From a study ofthe literature and their personal experience of a

limited number of cases, the writers conclude thatsilver salvarsan is an efficient spirochaeticide whichhas a pronounced effect upon the visible lesions ofsyphilis. A distinct advantage is the absence ofthe characteristic and often nauseating garlic-likeodour noticed by the patient when receiving otherforms of salvarsan intravenously. The effect of silversalvarsan on the Wassermann reaction is variable.As a rule, however, in recent syphilis a positivereaction becomes negative after the first course offrom six to ten injections of silver salvarsan. Autho-rities differ considerably as to the optimum dosage.An initial dose of from 0-05 to 0-1 g. for a person ofaverage weight is best with a routine dose of from0-2 to 0-25 g. The following technique is recom-mended by the writers : Dissolve the necessary dosein 10 c.cm. of sterile distilled water, draw into a20 c.cm. Luer syringe, puncture the vein, aspirateabout 10 c.cm. of blood, and re-inject the entiresolution slowly. The interval between the injectionsshould vary from four to seven days, and the numberof doses in a series varies considerably. There isapparently no reaction peculiar to silver salvarsanwhich has not been noticed with any of the othersalvarsan preparations. No authentic case of argyriahas been reported. Immediate reactions are aboutthe same as with the other forms of salvarsan, butit is too early to speak with certainty of remotedangers.

1 Archives of Dermatology and Syphilology, August, 1921.2 Ibid.