The Washington times., 1915-04-19
TELL WHAT STARTS
EGG CH|CKENWARD
Scientists Discuss That and
Other Subjects at Opening
Sessions Of Academy.

What starts an egg chickenward, and
what gives the tadpole the impulse to
turn into a frog, are two of the questions
seriously discussed under slightly more
technical titles, at the first open session
of the National Academy of Sciences
this afternoon
With this opening session began a
series of the most notable scientific dis
cuss'ons of the year on this side of the
Atlantic. The National Academy of
Sciences the only organization of its
kind designated by Congress as adviser
to the Government is the body In which
membership is most priced by American
scientists.
The annual gathering began this morn
ing with business meeting at the Ra-
leigh presided over by DR.. William
Welch, of Johns Hopkins University, at
which was discussed the administration
OF more than a score of trust funds ap-
propriated for scientific research. These
range in size from the Walcott Gibbs
fund for chemical research, which is
now but $500, to the $4,000 Bache fund
for research in 2hysical and natural
the general use of the Academy.
Discuss termination.
The discussion of the impulse toward
growth in egg and tadpole is to be dis
cussed in the paper this afternoon by
Prof Jacques Loeb. of the Rockefeller
Institute; New York. on "Stimulation of
Growth" This was one of the papers
reserved for later in the afternoon. The
session opened with paper by DR..
Thomas Fl. Morgan. Of Columbia Uni
versity, on "Localization of the Here
ditary Material in Germ Cells"
All the papers announced for this aft
ernoon had to do chiefly with the prob
lem of the termination of life. The
subjects for each session are so grouped
that scientists interested in particular
phases of the acadcmy's work may
conserve time and attend only those
sessions bearing upon particular sub
ject
Besides the paper by DR.. Loeb nd Dr..
Morgan. there also will be papers by
Prof. Lafayette B. Mandel of Yele
University. on Specific Chemical As
poets of Growth" and by Prof. Eugene
r. Du Bois. medical director of the
Russell Sage Institute of Pathology. on
The Basal Metabolism During this Pc
riod of Growth"
II will be shown that the change Of a
tadpole to frog may be FASTENED by
feeding 1t from a substance extracted
from the thyroid gland in the neck of
animals. Prof. Mandcls paper was to
Illustrate how. in addition to familiar
foodstuffs. certain little understood food
$. a
tribute to growth and development.
Conversion of Food.
Human beings were the focus Of
Prof. Du Bois' discussion of metabol-
ism, that process by which foods arc
converted into living tissue, and he
showed how this building up and break
ing down into waste products occurs
In animals of the human family.
nf AT had n
n rather formidable title. 1t was
termed Retention in tho circulation
OF Injected dextrose in depancreat'Zed
animals and the effect of an inravenous
upon this retention" Drs. |. S. Klein
cr and S. ]. Meltzer were the joint au-
thors of this paper.
The point of this paper was to show
that the blood has the power to rid it.
self of an injurious excess of sugar
through a secretation from the pan
CreaS.
or more popular nature will be the
lecture this evening in the auditorium
of the National Museum on The Evo-
luton Of the Earth" This will be the
third of series in memory of the late
William Ellerv Hale. of Chicago, It
will be illustrated and the lecturer will
he Prof. Thomas Chrowdcr Chamber
lain
Shows Years Progress.
In each session the subjects treated
will form IN epitome of the years prog
rcss in the field touched upon. Tomor-
row morning astronomy and physical
science will be the general topic of CON
Sideratio In the afternoon the scien-
lists will turn to geology.
The meeting this week is the fifty
second annual meeting of the academy.
Louis Agassiz was on the first roll of
members. and it now includes many fa-
NOUS names, among them Bache, Dahl
gren. IIilgard Lesley. Dana. EnGcl-
mann. Asa Grey. Joseph Hall. Joseph
Henry. Joseph Leidy, Benjamin Silli-
man, Benjamin Peirce, and Jeffrics Wy
man.
TherN are lli active members, twenty
of whom reside in Washington.
Droee E1,,k %o Cno Ma