Journal and Proceedings of
The Royal Society of New South Wales
Volume 112 Parts 3 and 4 [Issued December, 1979]
CONTENTS
AUTHORS & TITLES
Part 3
Aldis, Geoffrey K. and Hill, James M., Analysis of a Chiropractor's Data
King, D.S., Astrometric Determination of Membership Probabilities in Galactic
Clusters
Bahadur, K. and Kumar, S., Effect of Formaldehyde on the Abiogenesis of Nuclei
Acid Bases in the Irradiated Mixtures of Jeewanu and Protocells
Loughnan, F.C., Evans, P.R. and Walker, M.C., Magnesian Calcite at Macquarie
Rivulet Delta, Lake Illawarra, New South Wales
Lindley, I.D., An Occurrence of the Camerate Crinoid Genus Eumorphocrinus in the
Early Carboniferous of New South Wales
Part 4
Fergusson, Christopher L., Pre-Cleavage Folds in the Mid-Palaeozoic Sequence Near
Capertee, New South Wales
Taylor, G.H., The Response of Coal to Geological Stimulus
[Clarke Memorial Lecture for 1979]
Bracewell, R.N., Life in Outer Space
[Pollock Memorial Lecture, 1978]
Lassak, Erich V., The Volatile Leaf Oils of Three Species of Melaleuca
PAGES
93-99
101-104
111-113
115-120
121-124
125-132
133-138
139-142
143-145
vo. 112 pt 3, pp. 93-99
Analysis of a Chiropractor's Data
Geoffrey K. Aldis and James M. Hill
Abstract. Data from a chiropractor is studied with the view to obtaining a mathematical model
of the alteration in the position of the atlas bone due to adjustment. The particular chiropractor
believes that the patient's illness, for example low back pain, is primarily due to misalignments of
the atlas bone, which he attempts to correct by applying a mechanically produced force. We find
that there is considerable variation in the response of individual patients, indicating that a
'population' model is not applicable. In attempting to restore the atlas bone to its 'normal'
position, the chiropractor takes 'before' and 'after' X-rays, from which the displacements of the
bone due to the applied force are measured. Statistically significant differences in before and
after adjustment measurements are demonstrated for both the total sample and also when the
sample is broken down into age, sex and adjustment type categories. It was found that there was
not a transition from small displacements of the atlas in the young to larger displacements in the
old.
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vol. 112 pt 3, pp. 101-104
Astrometric Determination of Membership Probabilities in Galactic Clusters
D.S. King
Abstract. Photographic measurement of the relative proper motions in the region of a glactic
cluster are used to assign a probability of membership to each star. The probability of
membership is dependent upon the weights given to the results and the determination of the
distribution parameters. A more objective method is given for both.
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vol. 112 pts 3-4, pp. 111-113
Effect of Formaldehyde on the Abiogenesis of Nucleic Acid Bases in the
Irradiated Mixtures of Jeewanu and Protocells
K. Bahadur and S. Kumar
Abstract. The effect of formaldehyde has been studied on the abiogenesis of nucleic acid bases
in a setrilised aqueous mixture consisting of ammonium molybdate, diammonium hydrogen
phosphate and biological minerals. It was observed that the formation of nucleic acid bases
increases with increasing concentration of formaldehyde up to 60 ml formaldehyde/200 ml
mixture and thereafter decreases. Jeewanu, the protocells were formed by exposing sterilised
aqueous mixture containing ammonium molybdate, diammonium hydrogen phosphate,
biological minerals and formaldehyde to sunlight (Bahadur and Ranganayakee, 1970). The
presence of acid nucleic bases (Ranganayaki, Raina and Bahadur, 1972), amino acids (Bahadur,
Verma and Singh, 1974), sugars (Raina, 1973) and lipids (Singh, 1974) have been detected in the
particles as well as in the environmental medium of these mixtures. Formaldehyde has been used
as a source of carbon in the above mixture. The main reason for choosing formaldehyde as a
source of carbon is that formaldehyde can be very easily synthesised by exposing an aqueous
solution of carbon dioxide to ultraviolet light (Garrison, Morrison, Hamilton, Benson and
Calvin, 1957). Moreover formaldehyde has been detected in large quantity in interstellar space
(Synder et al. 1969)
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Vol. 112 pt 3, pp. 115-120
Magnesian Calcite at Macquarie Rivulet Delta, Lake Illawarra, New South
Wales
F.C. Loughan, P.R. Evans and M.C. Walker
Abstract. A thin, indurated carbonate layer comprising calcium and magnesium in varying
proportions, is developed in the near subsurface of a barren, salt-encrusted zone and adjacent
algal mat-covered flat at Macquarie Rivulet delta, Lake Illawarra. The presence of this layer
appears anomalous since not only is the climate of the area humid with an annual rainfall in
excess of 1100 mm, but further, the associated sediments contain abundant decomposing
organic maqtter and are essentially devoid of shell fragments and other detrital carbonate grains.
In an attempt to understand the geochemical conditions that have given rise to the precipitation
of the carbonate layer, analyses have been made of the groundwaters and algal mats in addition
to the associated sediments. It is concluded that although the mechanism of formation of the
carbonate layer is incompletely understood, the algal mats may have excercised a controlling
influence.
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Vol. 112 pt 3, pp. 121-124
An Occurrence of the Camerate Crinoid Genus Eumorphocrinus in the Early
Carboniferous of New South Wales
I.D. Lindley
Abstract. Eumorphocrinus elongatus n.sp. from the Early Carboniferous of the upper Hunter Valley
in New South Wales marks the first record of the primitive actinocrintid (Crinoidea: Camerata)
genus in the Southern Hemisphere. Eumorphocrinus has been previously known from the early
Viséan of the British Isles and from the early Osagean of Arizona.
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Vol 112 pt 4, pp. 125-132
Pre-Cleavage Folds in the Mid-Palaeozoic Sequence Near Capertee, New
South Wales
Christopher L. Fergusson
Abstract. Meridional folds with well-developed axial plane cleavage are superimposed on earlier
east-northeast trending golds in a Silurian-Devonian flyschoid and volcanoclastic sequence in the
northeast Lachlan Fold Belt. The early folds have no associated cleavage and it is suggested that
they may be gravity glide structures. The meridional folds are generally upright shallowly
plunging structures that are part of the regional deformation of the Siluro-Devonian Hill End
Trough.
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Vol 112 pt 4, pp. 133-138
The Response of Coal to Geological Stimulus
G.H. Taylor
[Clarke Memorial Lecture, 12th July, 1979]
Abstract from text
...
Clarke, who lived through the latter part of the Industrial Revolution could have had no doubt as
to the importance of coal. Now, a century after his death, we have again discovered how
fortunate we are in having resources of coal which are large in relation to our population. As we
are forced to think more seriously of our future energy needs we are becoming more conscious
of the wide variety of both brown and black coals which occur in Australia. This lecture is
principally concerned with some of the reasons for this great variation and especially with the
response of coal to geological events.
I have used the word 'stimulus' in the title to emphasize the sensitivity of coal to changes
(including comparatively small changes in geological conditions) which produce little or no
perceptible response in other rocks. The variability in the properties of coal is of interest not
only with regard to the material itself, but also in providing information as to the history of rocks
with which coal is associated, either in seams or as a minor component. ...
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Vol. 112 pt 4, pp. 139-142
Life in Outer Space
R.N. Bracewell
[Pollock Memorial Lecture, 1978]
No Abstract: Full Text here
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Vol 112 pt 4, pp. 143-145
The Volatile Leaf Oils of Three Species of Melaleuca
Erich V.Lassak
Abstract. The compositions of the steam-volatile leaf oils of Melaleuca adnata, M. nodoea and M.
thymifolia were determined by the use of gas-liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. The
oils of M. adnata and M. nodosa were characterised by high proportions of 1,8-cineole. M.
thymifolia has been shown to exist in a α-pinene rich form.