XIV NOTES BY THE EDITOR 



to their successive or simultaneous appearance or disappearance. 3 

 What the relations which exist between the present condition of the 

 organic kingdoms and that of earlier time. 



Another prize, which had been held out ever since 1847, was given 

 to Lereboullet, Professor of Zoology at Strasbourg. The subject was 

 the following: To establish, by studying the development of the embryo 

 in two species, taken one from among the Vertebrata, and the other, either 

 from the Mollusca or Articulata, the basis for comparative embryology. 

 The subject was one requiring long investigation, and the Academy 

 awarded a medal of gold, valued at 3000 francs. 



The prize in Experimental Physiology was divided between Messrs. 

 Waller, Davaine and Fabre ; the first, for his experiments on the 

 ganglions of the rachidian nerves; the second, for his experiments on 

 the Anguillula Tritici ; the third, for researches on the action of the 

 poison of the Cerceris (Hymenopterous insects) on the nervous ganglion- 

 ary system of insects. This is not the place to analyze the interesting 

 researches of these physiologists. But we may say however that M. 

 Fabre brought out the fact that the larves, with which the insects of 



O 



the Cerceris family provision their nests for the nourishment of their 

 own young, are struck with a kind of paralysis, which permits of their 

 living for a long time while depriving them of the faculty of feeling 

 or moving. This species of anesthetic condition is produced by the 

 puncture of one of the thoracic ganglions by the sting of the Cerceris; 

 and M. Fabre has succeeded in producing this condition at will by 

 introducing a little ammonia into the nervous ganglionary system, an 

 effect which he has repeated in other insects. 



As usual, the Academy found nothing to compensate or encourage 

 in physics, chemistry, or in mineralogy, if we except a prize of 2500 

 francs given to M. Schroetter for the discovery of the isomeric state 

 of red phosphorus. 



The commission on prizes in medicine distributed upwards of 

 50,000 francs. The principal recipients were : 



Dr. Simpson of Edinburgh, who, as stated by Mr. Flourens, first 

 introduced chloroform into ansesthesis for surgical operations. 



Dr. Middledorp of Vienna (Austria) for the application of the 

 galvano-caustic in certain surgical operations. 



M. Brown-Sequard, for having shown that various lesions of the 

 spinal marrow in the Mammalia, may be followed after some weeks by 

 a convulsive epileptiform affection, produced either spontaneously or 

 by excitation of the ramifications of the fifth pair of nerves on the side 

 corresponding to that of the lesion. 



Mr. Delpeach, for making known the accidents occuring among 

 workmen in the India-rubber business from the inhalation of sulphuret 

 of carbon. 



