Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 411 



'to 



ving the Loing at Saint Manvert, and which it again takes beyond Me - 

 lun. It is probable that at the diluvian epoch the current followed 

 the same line from the E.S.E. to the W.N.W., that it must have 

 covered the whole extent now occupied by the forest, and that it 

 hollowed out those broad furrows, the ridges of which are crowned 

 by blocks. The sandstone of Fontainbleau being formed of friable 

 and of more cohering layers, the former were doubtless undermined 

 by degrees by the action of the waters ; and then the solid layers, 

 being no longer upheld at their base, must have been broken up, and 

 have produced those vast heaps which give such wild and pictu- 

 resque aspects to this forest. 



[On the subject of the preceding notice of M. Durocher, see abs- 

 tracts of communications made to the Geological Society by Prof. 

 Agassiz, Dr. Buckland, and Mr. Lyell, p. 565, 569 — 590, of the pre- 

 ceding volume (S. 3. xviii.) of the Philosophical Magazine ; and 

 some remarks by Mr. Murchison and M. de Verneuil, in their paper 

 on the Geology of Russia, a notice of which will appear in a future 

 Number : also Dr. Locke's notice of diluvial or glacial scratches on 

 rocks in America, noticed in the Annals and Magazine of Natural 

 History, vol. vii. p. 524 ; and M. Sefstrom's Memoir on the Furrows 

 of the Scandinavian Mountains in the Scientific Memoirs, Part ix. 

 — Edit.] 



ON THE COMPOSITION OF THE BRAIN OF MAN. BY M. FREMY. 



It results from the researches of M. Fremy that the brain of man 

 is formed of a considerable quantity of water and of matter insoluble 

 in aether, which he describes as albuminous matter. 



The portion soluble in aether is formed chiefly of three substances : 



1st. The white matter discovered by Vauquelin, in which M. 

 Fremy has detected very decided acid properties, and which he calls 

 cerebric acid. 



2ndly. A liquid fatty matter, which has all the properties and com- 

 position of the olein of human fat, analysed by M. Chevreul. 



3rdly. Cifblestrin discovered in the brain by M. Couerbe. There 

 are besides found in the brain variable and very small quantities of 

 oleic acid, margaric acid, cerebrate of soda, and albuminous matter ; 

 to obtain these results, the author cuts the brain into small pieces, 

 boils it repeatedly in alcohol, and allows it to remain for some days 

 in this liquid. The object of this operation is to remove the water 

 contained in the brain, and to coagulate the albumen ; the cerebral 

 mass has then lost its elasticity, and may be submitted to pressure ; 

 the alcohol retains traces only of cerebric acid, which may be sepa- 

 rated by the filter ; the brain is then to be treated with boiling alco- 

 hol, till it ceases to dissolve any further portion ; the liquors are to 

 be evaporated, and the residue treated with boiling absolute alcohol, 

 which removes the olein, the cerebric acid, the cholestrin and the 

 oleic and margaric acids ; the albuminous matter and cerebrate of 

 soda do not dissolve. On the cooling of the alcohol the cholestrin 

 and cerebric acid are deposited ; these are to be separated by cold 

 aether, which readily dissolves the cholestrin and leaves the cerebric 



