MUSCULAR POISONS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21278, 3 September 1932, Page 7 (Supplement)

MUSCULAR POISONS

SNAKES AND THEIR VENOMS Dr. C. IT. Kellaway, director r>f the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Melbourne, in discussing " Snake Venoms ax Muscular Poisons," which formed the subject of his presidential address in the physiology and experimental biology section of the Science Congress in Sydneypointed out that in the history of the investigation of snake venoms, the apparently obvious had several times proved delusive.

Th<v very rapid and dramatic death caused by the intravenous injection of vipennino snake venoms, at first attributed to the action of a highly irritant poison on the central nervous system, was later shown to be due to coagulation of blood in the vessels, Mr. Kellaway said. The symptoms which followed the bite of an Australian snake or the injection of its venom into animals were really caused, partly directly by an action on the nerve endings in the skeletal musclae or on the skeletal muscles themselves, and partly by asphyxis caused by this primary effect upon the diaphragm and the costal muscles, whoso movements caused ventilation of tho lungs. After summarising and discussing the evidence in favour of a possible action of venom, and particularly of Australian snake venoms on the central nervous system, Dr. Kellaway set out tho evidence to the contrary, the most important of which was the recent demonstration at the Hall Institute by means of wireless amplification that the nervous impulse clown tho nerves to the diaphragm, which had been shown to depend upon the integrity of tho higher centres, could still bo strongly heard long after failure of tho respiratory movements had occurred. The action of colubrine venoms and of those of the Australian snakes in particular, was primarily and predominantly upon the muscular system and they were, therefore, justified in regarding thera as muscular poisons.

A GEARLESS CLOCK. While one group of scientists have been perfecting electrical machinery that will run at higher and still higher speeds, another group has been going to the other extreme by perfecting a timing motor that will revolve only twice a day. As a matter of fact, by following the same principles the speed could be slowed down to once a year or even less than that. Theoretically there is 110 limit to the slowness that could be achieved, according to Mr. Jj. W. Chubb, director of research for the Westinghouse Electric Company, and Mr. T. R. Watts, research engineer, who co-operated in this development. While the idea is still in the experimental stages and is not commercially available, the fact that it is practical and workable has, it is claimed, been demonstrated in a clock of unique design. One feature of the clock is that it hap only four moving parts, each of which is necessary to operate one of the hands. The fastest of these revolves only sixty times a minute. .If the four points of wear were to bo sealed in oil cups and jewels used for bearings as they are in good watches, the clock should run forever without attention. Of course such performance would require that the electric current never be interrupted.

DISAPPEARING FAUNA The disappearance of marsupials in Western Australia, was mentioned by Mr. L. Glauert, curator of the Perth Museum, in a paper, which was read by Mr. E. Le G. Troughton, of the Australian Museum, before the zoological section of the Science Congress in Sydney. The paper made it clear that since the white settlement of the south-western part of the state had taken place, seven species of harmless and very beautiful marsupials had probably become extinct. On the other hand there was evidence that some varieties were actually extending their range. The need for the creation of a biological survey of Australian animals was emphasised. USE FOR EXHAUST GAS. Employing the exhaust gas of the motorcar to clean the upholstery is the accomplishment of a recently invented device. An aluminium attachment is fastened to tile exhaust pipe, and the engine is allowed to idle. As the exhaust gas passes through this device suction is created at the inlet hole. Collected by a nozzle the dust and dirt are drawn through the hose and are expelled into the air at the rear of the car. The appliance is made in three models for motor-cars of different sizo