380 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



whenever, by any means, n violent commotion of the nervous system 

 is produced. 



In the whole extent of the nervous system, I have found only one 

 limited spot of the medulla oblongata where a lesion occasions the 

 opposite effect. Thus, when in dogs or rabbits we succeed in prick- 

 ing the medulla oblongata with a sharp-pointed instrument within 

 the narrow space, limited below by the origin of the pneumogastric, 

 and above by the emergence of the acoustic nerves, we ascertain after 

 a short lapse of time that the saccharine principle has been formed 

 so abundantly as to spread throughout all the organism. The blood 

 and other liquids of the body are surcharged with it ; the urine eli- 

 minates the excess ; the animal is diabetic. 



Thus we can cause the excess or disappearance of sugar solely by 

 modifying the phaenomena of innervation. 



In conclusion, from the results presented in this paper, I think I 

 have proved beyond doubt the production of sugar in the liver of 

 man and animals ; and have established the existence of a function 

 which, up to the present time, had remained entirely unknown. — 

 Monthly Journal of Medical Science, September 1851. 



ON THE CRYSTALLIZATION OF CYMOPHANE. BY M. EBELMEN. 



In 1847, I presented to the Academy the description of the me- 

 thod by which I was enabled to prepare cymophane, or aluminate of 

 glucina, in the crystalline state. The crystals were microscopic. 

 Their specific gravity and their chemical composition agreed with the 

 form as determinable with the microscope, so as to allow of their 

 identification with the natural crystals. 



Perfect crystals of cymophane are very rare in mineralogical 

 collections. It struck me that it would be a matter of great inter- 

 est to mineralogists, to prepare this species in such crystals as 

 might be easily determined and measured. I easily succeeded in 

 this, by prolonging the duration of the evaporation and modifying 

 the composition of the flux, in such a manner as to render it more 

 liquid. The crystals which I obtained are from 5 to 6 millimetres 

 , in length. Sometimes they are simple and present the facets m m 

 of the primitive prism, the facet g' well-developed, the base P and 

 the modification e' upon the edge of intersection of the facet g' by 

 the base. The angles which I measured are identical with those ob- 

 tained by M. Descloiseaux in the crystals of M. De Dree's collection. 

 The specific gravity of the artificial crystals is 3' 759 ; that of natu- 

 ral cymophane is comprised between 3-70 and 3*80. A large num- 

 ber of macled crystals are found among the artificial crystals of cymo- 

 phane ; the macles are identical either with those of the crystals 

 from Brazil and Haddam, or those of the crystals from the Ural. 

 Hence the artificial crystals not only present the same primitive form 

 and the same angles as the natural crystals, but even their ordinary 

 facets and the principal accidental crystallizations of the latter. On 

 the addition to the flux of 1 per cent, of bichromate of potash, cry- 

 stals of cymophane are obtained, which are green by day light, like 

 those from the Ural. By candlelight they appear violet. — Cowptes 

 Rendus, May 12, 1851. 



