Society of Antiquaries. 155 



was found. Th^, nerves from the head on ibe right side 

 passed to the right arm and leg ; th<>se on the lett to the 

 left arm and leg ; so that, had the creature lived, one head 

 and mind would have directed the right side, and the other 

 the left. The organs of the two sexes were very distinct, 

 and the uterus was found in the bladder of the male. The 

 author described the physical structure of this lusus naturce. 

 very minutely, but the details would not be interesting. 



Feb. 15. A paper on uric acid, by Mr. Brande, com- 

 municated by the Sociely'for improving Anin)al Chemistry, 

 was read. The author related the etiects of the alkalies 

 and linie on the uric acid and phosphats, in patients la- 

 bouring under the influence of calculi, but in none of the 

 four cases which he stated were they successl'ul in giving 

 relief or curing the disease. JN'lagnesia, however, had the 

 desired effect, and brought oft' in the urine great quantities 

 of uric acid and phosphats, in the form of triple salts. 

 The discharge of these salts, after taking small closes of 

 magnesia, was so copious, that ihe patients were radically 

 or effectually cured in two or three weeks. The suggestion 

 to use njagnesia was made by Mr. Hatchet, who knew of 

 nothing so capable of acting on uric acid, and experience 

 has confirmed his conclusion. 



Feb. 22, In consequence of the indisposition of Sir J. 

 Banks, Mr. Marsden was in the chair, when the reading 

 of a supplementary paper, by Dr. Flerschel, on coloured 

 concentric rings, commenced. The present object of 

 the author is to explain and elucidate the positions laid 

 down in his former papers on this subject, and in some 

 measure to insure to himself more completely the sole me- 

 rit of discovering the red bow, as Newton did the blue one. 

 The introductory remarks chiefly referred to the 42d and 

 43d sections of the author's preceding paper, in which the 

 nature of the red rings, the transmission of light, and the 

 prismatic colours, were particularly discussed. The con- 

 clusion of this paper was postponed till next meeting. 



SOCIETY OF ANTiaUARIKS, 



Mr. J. A. Repton presented to the society a scries of de- 

 signs of wooden houses, windows, or other parts of buildings 

 constructed of wood, in order to show the .origin and pro- 

 gress of architecture in wood throughout England. His 

 views included the principal structures of tjinber in London, 

 Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, and Lincolnshire. In the expla- 

 natory observations which were read to illustrate the views, 

 i( was stated that sash-windows were not introduced into 



this 



