Meteorological Observations. 159 



evidently to xaatho-proteic acid. For these reasons I formerly con- 

 sidered these corpuscles as composed of a solid albuminous substance ; 

 being struck, however, with the resemblance of the waxy corpuscles 

 of the spleen to the amylaceous corpuscles of the brain, I took advan- 

 tage of a recent case to try the effect of iodine and sulphuric acid 

 upon them ; the bright violet colour characteristic of cellulose made 

 its appearance with surprising promptitude. 



The correctness of the reaction was proved upon several old pre- 

 parations in our pathological collection (Marburg), preserved in 

 weak spirits of wine. This substance possesses so much fixity that 

 it still remains unchanged in a spleen which has been macerated in 

 running water for a fortnight. 



I may add that this singular degeneration of the spleen occurs 

 principally in general derangement of the system, and that it is most 

 frequently met with in patients who have been subject to ulcerous 

 affections for a very long time. — Comptes Rendus, Dec. 5, 1853, 

 p. 860. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS FOR DEC. 1853. 

 Chiswick. — December 1. Overcast: fine: clear and frosty. 2—4. Dense fog. 

 5. Foggy : slight rain. 6, 7. Foggy : overcast. 8. Foggy : fine. 9. Fine : slight 

 rain. 10, 11. Cloudy. 12. Hazy : uniformly overcast. 13. Foggy. 14. Over- 

 cast. 15. Snowing: clear and frosty. 16. Overcast: clear, with bright sun: 

 severe frost at night. 17. Severe frost : overcast : frosty.. 18. Clear : overcast. 

 19. Uniformly overcast : clear and fine : cloudy. 20. Hazy. 21. Densely clouded : 

 boisterous at night. 22. Overcast. 23. Cloudy : clear. 24. Cloudy : clear and 

 frosty. 25. Frosty : hazy : clear, with sharp frost at night. 26. Frosty : fine : 

 frosty. 27. Clear and frosty : hazy : clear and frosty. 28. Clear and frosty : fine : 

 severe frost at night. 29. Severe frost : clear and fine : frosty. 30. Snow- 

 shower : frosty. 31. Very clear and frosty: partially overcast: sharp frost at 

 night. 



Mean temperature of the month 32°-49 



Mean temperature of Dec. 1852 46*56 



Mean temperature of Dec. for the last twenty-eight years . 39 '64 



Average amount of rain in Dec 1*5 inch. 



Boston. — Dec. 1. Cloudy : rain a.m. 2. Fine. 3. Cloudy. 4, 5. Foggy. 6. 

 Cloudy: rain A.M. 7. Foggy. 8. Fine. 9. Fine: rain p.m. 10. Fine: rain 

 early a.m. \\\ — 13. Cloudy. 14. Fine. 15. Snow and rain a.m. and p.m. 

 16. Cloudy: snow a.m. 17. Cloudy. 18, 19. Fine. 20. Cloudy: rain p.m. 

 21. Cloudy: rain a.m. and p.m. 22,23. Cloudy: rain a.m. 24. Cloudy. 25. 

 Foggy. 26. Foggy : rain and snow p.m. 27. Fine : snow p.m. 28. Snow a.m. 

 and p.m. 29. Fine. 30. Fine: snow a.m. 31. Fine. 



Sandwicic Manse, Orkney. — Dec. 1. Hazy a.m. : rain p.m. 2. Damp a.m.I 

 drops P.M. 3. Bright a.m. : cloudy, aurora p.m. 4. Clear a.m. and p.m. 5. 

 Bright A.M. : clear, aurora p.m. 6. Clear a.m. : clear, aurora S. p.m. 7. Bright 

 A.M. : frost, showers p.m. 8. Showers a.m. and p.m. 9. Showers a.m. : clear p.m. 

 10. Bright A.M.: fine p.m. 11. Frost a.m.: damp p.m. 12. Damp a.m.: 

 showers p.m. 13. Bright a.m. : clear, lunar halo p.m. 14. Damp a.m. 

 and P.M. 15. Cloudy a.m. : clear p.m. 16. Damp a.m. : clear p.m. 17. Clear, 

 frost A.M. and P.M. 18. Bright, frost a.m. : clear, frost p.m. 19. Showers a.m. : 

 clear p.m. 20. Showers a.m. : clear, frost p.m. 21. Clear, frost a.m. : clear, 

 frost, aurora p.m. 22. Cloudy, frost a.m. : showers p.m- 23. Showers a.m. : 

 showers, aurora p.m. 24. Cloudy a.m. and p.m. 25. Cloudy a.m. : sleet-showers 

 P.M. 26. Ilail-showers a.m. : snow-showers p.m. 27. Snow drift a.m. and p.m. 

 28. Snow-showers a.m. : snow, cloudy p.m. 29. Thaw: showers a.m. and p.m. 

 30, 31. Snow-drift a.m. : snow-showers p.m. 



Mean temperature of Dec. for twenty-six previous years ... 41°-18 



Mean temperature of this month 38 '97 



Mean temperature of Dec. 1852 40 -74 



Average quantity of rain in Dec. for thirteen previous years 4*13 inches. 



