13 



the inscription ; and various suggestions might be offered in regard 

 to its explanation. But it seems most probable that it was used as a 

 qualifying term to the Crocodes. Several of the collyria have the 

 Latin adjective *' lene," and " leve," placed before them, in order to 

 certify their mild nature. Scribonius Largus gives a whole division 

 of collyria, headed " Collyria composita levia." Aetius has a chap- 

 ter, '* De Lenibus Collyriis." The expression apalo^ as a part and 

 prefix to Crocodes, would seem to indicate the same quality in the 

 crocodes vended, of old, to the Roman colonists and inhabitants of 

 the Lothians, by Vallatinus of Tranent, the term being in all likeli- 

 hood derived from the Greek adjective a-TraXog, or the corresponding 

 Latin adjective apalus (mild, soft). Homer frequently uses the word 

 as signifying soft, delicate, and especially as applied to different parts 

 of the body (See Iliad, book iii. 371 ; xvii. 123, &c.) ; and, indeed, 

 both Aetius and Paulus iEgineta employ the Greek adjective thera- 

 peutically in the sense of mild, and as applied to collyria. In the 

 treatment of acute inflammatory ulcers of the eye, after inculcating 

 the usual antiphlogistic treatment, Aetius adds, *' collyria vero tenera 

 (a'Traka) ulcerate oculo infundantur." * When speaking of carbuncles 

 and carcinoma of the eye, Paulus JEgineta observes that the affection 

 may be alleviated *' by the injection of soothing (tenera, acraXa) col- 

 lyria, such as the Spodiacum, Severianum, and the like."t 



Other Roman medicine stamps with analogous oculist legends and 

 collyria have, in England, been found at Colchester, Bath, Wroxeter, 

 Cirencester, Kenchester, Littleborough, St Albans, &c. &c. 



2. Astronomical Notices. By Professor C. Piazzi Smyth. 



These Notices were chiefly derived from the ordinary correspond- 

 ence of the Royal Observatory of Edinburgh, from the important 

 character of some of which Professor P. Smyth hoped that extracts 

 from the best of the letters might be of interest to the Society. 



He alluded first to the astronomers of the United States, a large 

 and increasing body, of no mean order of excellence already, and of 

 the richest promise. Professor Loomis' recent work, which was ex- 

 hibited, gives sufl&cient facts to prove the above statements. 



* Cornarius' Latin edit, of Aetius, 1549, p. 371; and Venice Greek edit., p.l26. 

 t Dr Adams' Sydenham Society edition. Vol. i., p. 419 ; and the Basle Greek 

 edition, p. 76. 



