54 Royal Astronomical Society. 



In fractures of the bones of the skull, when inflammation of the 

 brain supervened, there was a slight increase of the total amount of 

 phosphates ; but no such increase occurred when the head was not 

 affected, even although acute inflammation of other organs existed. 

 In acute inflammation of the brain there was an excessive secretion 

 of phosphates, which returned to the natural quantity as soon as 

 the inflammation passed into the chronic state. In some functional 

 diseases of the brain, attended with delirium, the secretion of the 

 salts was excessive ; but the excess ceased with the disappearance 

 of that symptom. In other functional diseases, as in fevers, no ex- 

 cess was observable. In delirium tremens, when food could be 

 taken, there was neither excess nor deficiency ; but in the most 

 violent cases, where no food could be taken, the quantity of the 

 phosphates was diminished in a most remarkable degree. In the 

 general paralysis of the insane, no increase of phosphates was ob- 

 served. One case of acute paroxysm of mania showed a small in- 

 crease during the paroxysm ; in two other cases of mania there was 

 a diminution of phosphates approaching to that occurring in delirium 

 tremens. Bright's disease, even attended with acute inflammation, 

 showed no increase. When only a few ounces of urine were se- 

 creted, as in dropsy, no increase was observed ; and none also in a 

 very extreme case of exostosis. In the case of mollities ossium, 

 there was a decided increase of the earthy phosphates ; and at last, 

 the alkaline phosphates were also in excess, although there was no 

 indication of affections of the nervous structures. 



The following are the general conclusions which the author draws 

 from his inquiries : first, that acute affections of the nervous sub- 

 stance, organic and functional, are the only diseases in which an 

 excess of phosphatic salts appears in the urine ; and in acute in- 

 flammation of the brain, its amount is proportional to the intensity 

 of the inflammation ; secondly, that in a large class of functional 

 diseases of the brain, of which delirium tremens presents the most 

 marked example, the secretion of phosphates is most remarkably 

 diminished ; and lastly, that no chronic disease exhibits any marked 

 excess in the total quantity of phosphatic salts secreted, at least as 

 far as the mode of analysis employed by the author can be regarded 

 as conclusive. 



ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY. 



[Continued from vol. xxviii. p. 229.] 



January 9, 1846. — The following communications were read: — 

 Announcements of the Discovery of the new Planet Astrsea ; with 

 Observations, Elements, &c. 



The addition of a new planet to the solar system is a fact so in- 

 teresting and important in astronomy, as to require that the nume- 

 rous communications of which it has already been the subject should 

 be treated and discussed in the publications of this Society with a 

 greater regard to classification and arrangement than is necessary, 

 or indeed always practicable, in other cases of less prominent in- 



