Scientific Intelligence, — Zoology. 405 



ZOOLOGY. 



18. Recovenf from Ih'oimiing. — M. Bourgeois had occa- 

 sion to give assistance in a case where, after a person had been 

 twenty minutes under water, he was taken out, and, by a 

 very common, but serious mistake, carried with his head down- 

 wards. The usual means were tried unremittingly, but unsuc- 

 cessfully, for a whole hour, but at the end of that time a little 

 blood flowed from a vein that had been opened, and a ligature 

 being placed on the arm, ten ounces of blood were withdrawn : 

 the circulation and respiration were then gradually re-establish- 

 ed, horrible convulsions, and a frightful state of tetanus, coming 

 on at the same t'mie ; copious bleeding was again eff'ected, after 

 which a propensity to sleep came on : a third bleeding the fol- 

 lowing morning was followed by the recovery of the patient. 

 Hence M. Bourgeois concludes, that the means of recovering a 

 drowned person should never be abandoned until the decompo- 

 sition of the body has commenced. — Bull. Univ. c. xi. 213. 



19. Preservation of Skins, — A tanner in Hungary uses with 

 great advantage the pyrolignous acid in preserving skins from 

 putrefaction, and in recovering them when attacked. They are 

 deprived of none of their useful qualities if covered by means of 

 a brush with the acid, which they absorb verp readily. 



20. Stupendous Lizard. — Mr Bullock, in his Travels (just 

 published), relates, that he saw near New Orleans, " what are 

 believed to be the remains of a stupendous crocodile, and which 

 are likely to prove so, intimating the former existence of a lizard 

 at least 150 feet long ; for I measured the right side of the un- 

 der jaw, which I found to be 21 feet along the curve, and 4 

 feet 6 inches wide ; the others consisted of numerous vertebrae, 

 ribs, femoral bones, and toes, all corresponding in size to the 

 jaw ; there were also some teeth ; these, however, were not of 

 proportionate magnitude. These remains were discovered a 

 short time since, in the swamp near Fort Philip, and the other 

 parts of the mighty skeleton are, it is said, in the same part of 

 the swamp."" 



21. Sea Serpents and Colossal Medusa. — " I have read with 

 great pleasure your very highly interesting conmuinication about 

 the sea serpent, as also, the very profound and learned disquisi- 



JANUARY — MARCH 1828. D D 



