1835.] Scientific Intelligence, 391 



lungs and heart with its membranes ; digestive organs and their con- 

 nexions ; urinary organs ; organs of generation ; cellular tissue ; 

 membranous textures ; vascular and nervous tissues j constitutional 

 diseases ; cutaneous disorders ; fevers ; poisons. 



This arrangement, although perhaps, equal to any of its contem- 

 poraries, is certainly very exceptionable. Thus, w^e have inflamma- 

 tions of the same membranes placed in different divisions ; oesopha- 

 gitis, pharyngitis, inflammations of mucous membranes, are classed 

 along w\i\\ worms, and peritonitis or inflammation of a serous mem- 

 brane ; and apart from cystitis, gonorrhea, coryza or inflammations of 

 mucous membranes. Until diseases are considered in connexion with 

 the structures in which they exist, attempts to form true views of 

 their essential nature will be vain. Bichat by his proposal to classify 

 disease, according to the anatomical, or rather we might say, chemical 

 nature of the structures of the body, paved the way for the true basis 

 of a science. His successors have not, it is to be regretted, followed 

 up his views, or if they have done so, they have not extended them 

 to the present state of our knowledge. The case before us fully 

 illustrates this position ; still the book is a valuable one, and has lost 

 nothing by its translation. For the Editor's labours have not been 

 confined to mere " doing it into English." He has added a concise 

 compend of cutaneous diseases, and throughout the work has sup- 

 plied numerous useful observations. 



Article X. 



SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE. 



I. — Excise Committee of the Royal Society. 



Report on the Hydrometer.— 'The report states, that with regard 

 to the substance alcohol, upon which the Excise duty is to be levied, 

 there appears to be no reason why it should be considered as absolute. 

 A definite mixture of alcohol and water being as invariable as alco- 

 hol itself, and can more readily, and with equal accuracy be identified 

 by that only condition to which recourse can be had in practice, viz., 

 specific gravity. The committee proposes, that standard spirit shall 

 have a specific gravity of 0*92 at the temperature of 62" Fahr., 

 water being unity at that same temperature, or in other words, that 

 at 62^, it shall weigh iVoth, or f f th of an equal bulk of water. 

 The temperature of 62° is adopted, because it is that at which water 

 was taken in adjusting the weights and measures, and the spec. gr. 

 092 is recommended in preference to 0*918633, the present specific 

 gravity of proof spirit at 62^, on account of the more simple nature 

 of the fraction. By this alteration, the new standard will be weaker 

 then the old proof spirit, in the proportion of nearly 1 * I gallon of 

 the present proof spirit per cent. The specific gravity of absolute 

 alcohol has been differently stated by chemists. Saussure makes it 

 •7910 at 60°. Berzelius .7947 at 59 \ Gay Lussac -79235 at 64°. 



