Royal Society, 3G7 



By the action of the potash upon the healed, iron, it is de- 

 composed, and the metallic base partly distils over, and is 

 partly found in a state of alloy with the iron. — ^The same 

 letter states, that Mr. Berthollet jun. has read a paper to 

 the Institute, in which he endeavours to confirm his father's 

 analysis of ammonia. 



May 12 and 19. — ^The president in the chair. These two 

 evenings were occupied in reading an interesting and able 

 paper containing the results of an analysis of numerous spe- 

 cimens of different calculi, by Mr. Brande. The object of 

 the inquiry was to ascertain the relative quantities of uric 

 acid, and phosphats of magwesia and lime ; and to determine 

 the effects of the usual solvents, alkali and acids, for calculi 

 in the bladder and kidneys. It appeared that out of 150 

 stones, 60 were found composed of phosphoric acid and ani- 

 mal matter, and that only 12 were found of pure uric acid ; 

 the phosphats of magnesia and of lime, with a slight por- 

 tion of uric acid and animal matter, were the most common. 

 Some of the stones had pieces of bougies, hazel-nuts, and 

 peas for nuclei. To Mr. Brande's experiments Mr. Home 

 added some practical observations, tending to prove that, if 

 alkaline solvents were used, they might dissolve the uric 

 acid ; but that ihe phosphoric, which is always the most 

 plentiful, would thereby be increased, and the virulence of 

 the disease, however mitigated for the moment, would 

 eventually become much more dangerous. The same ad- 

 verse effects were ascribed to the use of acids as solvents : so 

 that we have yet to discover a safe and efficient remedy for 

 calculous diseases. 



May 26. — The president in the chair. The reading of a 

 paper, by Messrs. Allen and Pepys, on the effects of respira. 

 tion on the atmosphe're commenced. The authors took a ge- 

 neral view of what the principal philosophers have written on 

 this subject, as an introduction to their observations ; and 

 expressed a hope of ascertaining with more accuracy than 

 preceding experimenters, by means of their eudiometer, the 

 quantity of oxygen consumed, and carbonic gas emittcd,^ 

 by the lungs in ^ given period. 



UNIVERSITY 



