McGill University Thèses et mémoires publiés en 1956

This work is intended to be an experimental contribution to the field of electrolytic conductance. Conductance work is a study of the behaviour of ions under an applied electric field. Since conductivity results can be readily obtained to a high degree of accuracy over wide concentration and temperature ranges, the data provide a basis for developing and testing theories of electrolytes. The objective of such theories is to predict the behaviour of electrolytes from a knowledge of certain properties, such as the dielectric constant and viscosity for the solvent, and the ionic charges and radii for the solute.  Lire la suite

Red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) is one of the most important of the true clovers. It has proved to be a very versatile species in its ability to adapt itself to a particular set of conditions, and a large number of races have been evolved within the species. Regional strains, which differ in productivity, winter hardiness, and disease resistance, have developed as a result of the selective action of local environmental conditions on this highly variable plant.  Lire la suite

Ever since Koch, in 1882, announced the discovery of the aetiological agent of tuberculosis, which he named the tubercle bacillus, scientists throughout the world have been trying to improve existing methods of the culture or this organism that has been the scourge of mankind for centuries. One of the attempts to achieve rapid and accurate bacteriologic diagnosis has led to the recent development of the slide-culture technique for growing tubercle bacilli.  Lire la suite

During a study of the degradative action of pyridine on cellulose trinitrate, G.H. Segall discovered that a solution of hydroxylamine in pyridine removed one nitrate group per anhydroglucose unit from the trinitrate. The selectivity of this reaction was demonstrated, and a possible specificity for one of the two secondary nitrate groups in the anhydroglucose units was suggested. The unusual stability of Segall's "dinitrate" to alkalies permitted methylation to a "mono-0-methyl dinitrate" with dimethyl sulphate and sodium hydroxide.  Lire la suite

Owing to its significant effect on fire hazards of combustible materials and the performance of internal combustion engines, spontaneous ignition has been studied since the beginning of this century. Early workers however aimed mainly at determining the ignition temperature, and it was not until recent years that ignition delay has received due attention and formed a subject of research in its own right. Dixon, Bradshaw and Campbell (Ref. 1) using an adiabatic compression apparatus in 1914, were the first to recognize the existence of a ‘pre-flame period’.  Lire la suite

The ignition delays of propane in a flow system were found to be influenced by the manner in which propane was introduced into the air. For a multihole injector with fuel jets at 90 degrees to the air stream the delay-.temperature relationship is of the form In y =71,800/RT + constant, RT over the range of air/propane ratios 117 - 35:1. This equation is dependent on the concentration of propane. Investigations showed that by decreasing air/propane ratio from 117:1 to 11:1, ignition delay increased to a maximum and then decreased to an almost constant value, tor air temperatures between 1011 …  Lire la suite

The increasing importance of thiazole derivatives in biochemical, pharmaceutical and also in technical fields makes it highly desirable to know as much as possible about them. The penicillins, produced by a mold, the first antibiotics to be used in medicine, contain the thiazole ring system. Sulfathiazole, that is p-aminobenzene sulfanilamidothiazole, is still very widely used as an effective bactericide.  Lire la suite

There are about 750 Eskimos living round the shores of Ungava Bay in northernmost Quebec (Fig. 1), all of whom, except the few permanently employed by whites, are recipients of government relief rations for part or all of the year. Their experience of white culture consists solely of contacts with traders, missionaries and for a few of them, contacts with a war-time American air base, Department of Transport Meteorological Stations, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, nurses of the Indian Health Service, and, in the last few years, summer employment with prospectors and surveyors.  Lire la suite

The purpose of this social work research project is to inquire into the life situations and personal adjustment patterns of a group of eighteen elderly Jewish men and women who have immigrated to Canada during their adult life. In approaching the study the writers will attempt to evaluate the life functioning of these patients from a three-dimensional focus. They will evaluate the patient as a physical organism, as a group member in society, and as a personality within a culture, and attempt to explore the interactions between these three areas of functioning.  Lire la suite

Aeronautical progress bas thrust upon each of the politically active inhabitants of the globe, in more peremptory fashion each year, the task of reconciling his opinions as a human being with his opinions as a citizen. Those who believe that men in the mass ultimately act in accord with their interests and ultimately formulate their interests in accord with human considerations will foresee the emergence of a world community assuring peace and justice.  Lire la suite

Foster, J. (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

The biological significance of certain pyridinium betaines, such as diphosphopyridine nucleotide and triphosphopyridine nucleotide, has been fully recognized. The vital importance of these substances in the life of organisms provided an impetus for extensive research in this field, with the result that our knowledge concerning the oxidation-reduction processes in living organisms has been greatly enriched. There were, however, additional factors which stimulated this research.  Lire la suite

This work is concerned with a study of the action of veratrine sulphate on the electrical responses of skeletal muscle. All the experiments performed in this study involve the use of frog’s skeletal muscle. However, because of the similarity of the actions of this alkaloid on nerve and muscle, much of the discussion and many of the references given will concern studies performed on nerve fiber preparations. About 10 years ago, an excellent review on the pharmacology of the veratrum alkaloids appeared (Krayer and Aches on, 1946).  Lire la suite

The object of the theory of Group Representation is the study of all homomorphisms of a given group into irreducible groups of matrices of finite degree with coefficients in an assigned field. An important case is that in which the prescribed field is the field of complex numbers. The theory was originated by Frobenius. His most important results were again found independently by Burnside who gave a number of important applications of the theory as well as its classical treatment.  Lire la suite

The objective of this work was to prepare nitramines of 2-amino- 6-pyridinecarboxylic acid, 4-amino-2-pyridinecarboxylic acid, 4-amino- 3-pyridinecarboxylic acid, 2-amino-4-pyridinecarboxylic acid, 2-amino- 5-cyano-4, 6-dimethylpyridine and their rearranged products. The compounds: 2-amino-4-pyridinecarboxylic acid, 2-amino-6-pyridinecarboxylic acid, 4-amino-2-pyridinecarboxylic acid and 4-amino-3-pyridinecarboxylic acid have been prepared by permanganate oxidation of the corresponding acetamidopicolines. Further, 2-amino-4-pyridinecarboxylic acid bas been also obtained by the reduction of 2-nitro-4-pyridinecarboxylic acid with iron powder and 20% acetic acid.  Lire la suite

Crickets belong to the family Gryllidae (Orthoptera) and are common in houses, fields, pasture, meadows, and some inhabit trees and shrubs. Most of them feed on plants and grains but some occasionally feed on other insects. Several species of crickets overwinter as eggs, laid generally in the moist ground or vegetation, while others in tropical climates pass the winter either as nymphs of late instars, or as adults. They are among the most familiar insects. In Italy and North Africa crickets, which are best known for the musical sounds made by the male, are kept in cages tor the sake …  Lire la suite

Between January 1952 and May 1953 the United States Naval Medical Research Unit No. 3, stationed at Cairo, Egypt, undertook an extensive survey of the local fauna for the presence of schistosomes. As a result, a large number of helminths, other than schistosomes, was collected and some were forwarded to the Institute of Parasitology at Macdonald College for identification. This thesis deals with the classification of those nematodes collected from Carnivora. It is hoped that eventually a complete host list for all the parasites obtained in the area will be published.  Lire la suite

The areas under consideration in this thesis were geologically surveyed in the summer of 1954 by the Newfoundland and Labrador Corporation. Reconnaissance work was carried out by four field parties that were "spotted" at various locations during the summer, and by a helicopter party. One of the field groups was headed by the writer. The interval between traverses was from one-half to one mile. A study was made of thin sections cut from specimens collected by these parties and a description of these sections is the chief contribution of this thesis.  Lire la suite

This phase of the investigation was concerned with a study of the urinary excretion of estriol, estrone and estradiol -17B following the intramuscular injection of estradiol -17B in men with myocardial infarction. The results were compared with those of a control group of male subjects with no clinical evidence of this disease. The study was undertaken for the reasons set forth below. Myocardial infarction is rare in women before the menopause but postmenopausal women show a high incidence of this disease.  Lire la suite

During the summer of 1955 the author was employed by Bellechasse Mining Corporation to make a geological map of a group of 77 claims and to supervise a Packsack drill programme on mineralized showings at Pegma Lake. Aeromagnetic anomalies were checked and geological mapping of these anomalies was carried out in the area surrounding Pegma Lake. This thesis is concerned with the general geology and petrology of the rocks in the claim group. A mineralographical study is made of the metallic minerals in mineralized rocks of the area.  Lire la suite

A photoconductive diode can be constructed from a bar of semi-conducting material containing a region of p type conductivity and one of n type conductivity. However, a more sensitive device is realized if three regions are used alternately n,p,n. The npn structure, a phototransistor, provides a current approximately fifty times greater than that obtained from a pn photodiode illuminated by the same light source. Several of these npn units were constructed and the performance of each as a two-terminal phototransistor was evaluated.  Lire la suite

Gurd, F. (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

Mason, S. (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

Following the discovery of copper-nickel mineralization in 1951 at St. Fabien de Panet, Montmagny County, about 50 miles east of Quebec City, the Quebec Department of Mines initiated a program of geological mapping in this area. In 1952, the author assisted Dr. J. Beland in the mapping of the St. Magloire area where the copper-nickel mineralization was discovered. [...]  Lire la suite

The comparatively rare positive electron or positron appears to have exactly the same mass as the negative electron. In a vacuum it is stable, but in the presence of matter in any form, it readily combines with an ordinary negative electron, and the result is the complete disappearance of the mass of the pair and the emission of gamma rays of equivalent energy. This process is called annihilation and the radiation emitted is annihilation radiation. The emission of one photon is theoretically possible but can occur only in the presence of a very strong external field or very near a …  Lire la suite

The dicholine ester of succinic acid (succinyldicholine; SDC) is a potent muscle-relaxant widely used in modern anaesthetic practice. The special properties of this drug are best considered in relation to those of other muscle relaxants. The clinical use of muscle relaxants in general and SDC in particular will therefore be reviewed. The paralytic properties of curare were well known to the South American Indiana who used it as a crude plant-extract painted on arrowheads.  Lire la suite

Quand Hubert Gignoux entreprit d'écrire un livre sur l'œuvre de Jean Anouilh, il pria celui-ci de lui donner des renseignements biographiques sur lui-même. Voilà la réponse d'Anouilh : "Je n'ai pas de biographie, et j'en suis très content. Je suis né le 23 juin 1910 à Bordeaux, je suis venu jeune à Paris, j'ai été à l'école primaire supérieure Colbert, au collège Chaptal. Un an et demi à la Faculté de Droit de Paris, deux ans dans une maison de publicité, où j'ai pris des leçons de précision et d'ingéniosité qui m'ont tenu lieu d'études poétiques.  Lire la suite

An attempt is made to measure the loss tangent of dry air (a non-polar gas) using a resonance-curve method in a spherical Cavity at 1350 mc. The apparatus used is described and is show to possess a high order of frequency and amplitude stability. Although a large number of measurements are made in order to try to obtain a statistical average, the results are indeterminate. The conclusion is reached that the quantity being measured is too small for the apparatus to resolve.  Lire la suite

Reed, R. (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

Attention was immediately turned to making greater use of barley as a livestock feed within Canada with the closure of the market for its sale to Denmark on the declaration of the Second World War. To-day from a livestock feeding standpoint barley is to the Canadian farmer what corn is to his counterpart in the United States. The importance of barley as a livestock feed was recognized by the National Barley Feed Committee when it decided in 1936 to assemble all the information then available on the botanical, chemical and nutritive qualities of this grain with a view to the …  Lire la suite

The energy spectra of neutrons emitted from nuclei of several elements bombarded by protons of energies in the region of 25 and 40 Mev have been examined using nuclear emulsion techniques. The energy distributions can be fitted fairly well by Maxwellian shapes at low energies, though the apparent nuclear temperatures calculated from the spectra of neutrons emitted in the forward direction are higher for most elements than those derived from neutron spectra emitted at 180° to the incident proton beam. At high energies the distributions fall off more slowly than the low energy Maxwellian shapes would predict.  Lire la suite

Studies on problems of early maturity in plants have engaged the active interest of geneticists and plant breeders for many years. The value of such studies has been emphasized by the importance of developing varieties or strains of plants early enough in maturity to satisfy certain practical demands. Corn varieties or hybrids adapted to regions of low heat unit accumulation such as areas in the humid, microthermal climate north of the Corn Belt, must be extremely early in maturity.  Lire la suite

Our aim is to establish and discuss a certain class of conditions on the functions fi which ensure that the system (E) has a unique solution through a given point of D. We conclude with a survey of the principal results in this field which were encountered in a study of the literature. Since these results are extremely scattered, the last resumé being that of Müller (7), it is felt that this is also of some value.  Lire la suite

The codling moth, Carpocapsa pomonella (L.) a persistent pest in apple orchards throughout the North-American continent, has been a source of concern tor over a century. For many years lead arsenate was used to control but gradually became less effective as the insect developed resistance (Hough, 1929). DDT, after its introduction in 1945, gave excellent control and is now the most widely used insecticide against the pest. Its use, however, has not been without some disadvantages, chief of which are an upsurge of phytophagus mites, and to a less extent other pests such as the red-banded leafroller, due in large …  Lire la suite

This thesis describes the manner in which a beam of 25 x 10^6 protons/second at 90 Mev was extracted from the McGill synchrocyclotron and taken to a well-shielded position. A 1.46 gms/cm^2 uranium foil scattered the main cyclotron beam 5.5° into a magnet channel which was placed 3-4° in azimuth from the target and aligned by the current-carrying stretched wire technique. The channel is interrupted to insert iron wedges on the moveable internal probe and thus to adjust for suitable focus of the beam in the vertical plane.  Lire la suite

By bombarding a gold target at a proton energy of 61 Mev the isotopes Pt192 and Pt191 were indirectly produced. Photographs were taken with the help of a 180° focussing spectrograph. Of the 207 lines examined, 170 were identified. Those assigned to Pt192, and Pt191 are given in separate tables.  Lire la suite

Geomorphology, from its Greek derivation, is the study of the shape of the earth's surface and, as such, it falls within the realms of both geography and geology. In each of the two disciplines, however, its objectives differ. The core of geographical research is the study of the 'region' and geomorphology provides this with a physical basis. [...]  Lire la suite

Hydrogen, more than any other gaseous substance,has been investigated in electric discharges and a greatdeal of evidence has been accumulated for its existence inthe atomic state.  Lire la suite

The signal to noise ratio of a radar system can be improved by increasing the Pulse Repetition Frequency, (PRF). When the maximum range of the radar, Rmax, is greater than 1/2 cT where: (1) c = velocity of light (2) T = interval between transmitted pulses the position of a target which is situated at a distance R from radar ( 3) 1/2 cT < R < cT will be indicated as (4) r = R - cT where (5) r = distance of target indicated by radar. Every transmitted pulse initiates a sweep. [...]  Lire la suite

The area which La Chaloupe River drains, as well as the surrounding terrain, was mapped geologically during the four summer months of 1954 by M.A. Klugman. The writer acted as assistant to Mr. Klugman, on a party put in the field by the Quebec Department of Mines.  Lire la suite

The behaviour of quartz crystal units subjected to high drive levels and prolonged oscillation periods, as well as their subsequent recovery from these two conditions, were investigated. Abnormal oscillatory stresses were found to produce an increase in the internal friction and a consequent decrease in the dynamic modulus of the quartz. These effects appear in the crystal units, as a higher effective resistance and a depressed resonant frequency.  Lire la suite

Candida albicans (Robin, Berkhout, 1923) is the most common pathogenic fungus isolated from clinical material. It was first observed by Langenbeck in 1839 at autopsy. He found this yeast-like fungus in the intestines of a person who had died from typhoid fever. In 1842, David Gruby, the founder of medical mycology, clearly recognized yeast-like fungi involved in thrush of small children. [...]  Lire la suite

The study described in this thesis represents part of a larger programme of research on the preservation of blood. Though the benefits resulting from the transfusion of blood were recognized a very long time ago, it has been only within the last two decades that serious attempts have been made to preserve human blood. With the outbreak of the Second World War, the demand for blood both in civilian hospitals and on the battle field was increased tremendously. [...]  Lire la suite

Freedom and security are two of the greatest ideals man ever had. Put together they both represent the biggest problem and conflict in the history of mankind. The great Russian, F. M. Dostoevski whose artistic understanding of the human spirit has never been surpassed, dealt with the relationship between these types of liberty in the famous scene "The Grand Inquisitor" in his book "The Brothers Karamazov". [...]  Lire la suite

The belief that it is necessary to fill every dural defect with some type of membrane has been the basis of much of the experimental work on dural deficiency as well as the surgical treatment of dural defects. On the other hand, there is the opinion, based on clinical experience and some experimental studies, that the dura takes good care of its own defects.  Lire la suite

Leguminous plants occupy an exceptional place in the vegetable kingdom. Their roots have the ability to utilize the services of symbiotic bacteria for synthesis of proteins from atmospheric nitrogen and thus, unlike other plants, actually add nitrogen to the soil. They have also a comparatively greater content of protein in the stems, leaves and seeds. [...]  Lire la suite

The area is on the north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, 325 miles below Quebec. The consolidated rocks are all of Pre-cambrian age. In order of abundance they are:- anorthositic and gabbroic rocks, granitic intrusives, syenitic rocks, paragneisses, amphibolites, migmatites, dioritic intrusives, and various minor intrusives. The paragneisses have been called Grenville by earlier workers. [...]  Lire la suite

Cancer has developed into one of the most complex of biological problems and research into its causes, development, manifestations and control is the focal point of a large number of scientific disciplines. It is unlikely that any investigator can completely confine his work or interest within the boundaries of only one of its component disciplines. Cowdry, in a discussion on modern trends in cancer research, has remarked "it is said that in cancer the most productive research is between the sciences, as in the cell itself very fundamental processes take place at the surfaces between different materials". [...]  Lire la suite

The regulation of any fishery depends for its direction upon the knowledge of the biology of the fish involved. As the haddock has been one of the more important marine food fishes even before marine biological investigation was initiated in the fishing areas of the northwest Atlantic, it has periodically received attention from biologists working in these areas. Since the end of World War II with the advent and use of more efficient aids and methods for catching groundfish, the problem of regulation has become more acute.  Lire la suite

The sensitivity of the myocardium to alterations in its electrolyte environment has been extensively studied. Danowski and Elkinton (1951) in a detailed review on the effects of potassium on the functions of various organs and systems of the body conclude that "the heart is the most sensitive of all organs to alterations in its extracellular potassium concentration." It is now well established that the concentration of potassium in the extra cellular fluid is low (4 to 5 mEq. per liter in plasma) while the intracellular concentration is considerably higher--approximately 40 mEq. per 100 grams of cat heart tissue (Robertson and …  Lire la suite