152 Proceedings of the 



two gelatinous processes. Near these peduncles were two small white 

 isolated masses about the fdze of a pea, upon one of which was one of 

 the nerves of the fourth pair ; the quadrigeminal tubercles were unin- 

 jured ; 3. no appearance of the fourth ventricle; 4. the pons varolii 

 entirely wanting*, without any appearance ofdeperdition of substance ; 

 the anterior pyramids terminated forkwise by the cerebral peduncle. 

 It appears that the unhappy child had, from her earliest infancy, 

 contracted habits of the most vicious self-indulgence; and M. Com- 

 betti, in arguing on the foregoing facts, is disposed to attribute the 

 absence of the cerebellum and pons varolii to a gradual destruction 

 of those parts from disease, and not to any inherent defect of orga- 

 nization. At any rate the case presents the extraordinary fact 

 of the child having lived for some time in the possession of all its 

 faculties, and even of a certain degree of intellect, though deprived 

 of cerebellum, posterior peduncle, and cerebral protuberance. 

 MM. Geoffroy St. Hilaire, Blainville, Magendie, Flourens and 

 Serres have been appointed to examine and report on the case. 



Preservative against Smallpox and Measles. On the 13th of June 

 a letter was read from M. Remy, a physician at Chatillon, detailing 

 some experiments which he had recently made on chloride of lime as 

 a preservative against the small-pox. During the last autumn he 

 had observed that, out of some hundred individuals whom he had 

 vaccinated, nearly five-sixths had not taken the infection properly; 

 whereas in the spring, although he had used matter precisely 

 similar, every case succeeded. He then recollected, that during the 

 autumn he had constantly carried in his waistcoat pocket a small 

 packet of chloride of lime, and felt convinced that the non-reception 

 of the virus must have been occasioned by that circumstance. He, 

 therefore, in a village where the small-pox was raging with such 

 violence that there only remained twelve individuals subject to the in- 

 fection who had not been attacked, caused those twelve to be washed 

 twice a week with a solution of chloride of lime, and gave them 

 at the same time two drops of the solution in a glass of eau sucree. 

 Two of them had a slight eruption similar to a vaccine, which has 

 not taken well ; the other ten remained constantly with patients 

 suffering from the small-pox, without, the least symptoms of illness. 

 In another village where the small-pox also raged, there were 

 fifteen individuals liable to take it; ten of them were subjected to a 

 similar treatment, and wholly escaped the malady ; two of the other 

 five caught the complaint. The same treatment was tried on four 

 individuals under the influence of the small-pox ; the result was an 

 increase of inflammatory symptoms, which were removed by bleed- 

 ing; the progress of the eruption appeared arrested, the pustules 

 remained in the same state as when first washed with the solution, 

 and then dried away very slowly. This letter was referred to MM. 

 Magendie and Serres. On the 20th of June, M. Chevalier reminded 

 the Academy that he was the first who had suggested the use of 



