388 Scientific NoticeS'^Chemistry. (Nov. 



guished President liad lately ordered " that no person shall be 

 admitted to an examination to qualify him to practise in the 

 medical department of the army without having attended, 

 amongst other branches of science, lectures on botany for six 

 months';" the salutary effects of which regulation would, in a 

 few years, demonstrate its utility. 



Sir James rose to address the meeting, and assured them that 

 he was but performing his duty in enforcing the regulation just 

 mentioned, or any other of a similar kind, which might, in any 

 degree, be conducive to the extension of practical and useful 

 knowledge in that department with the direction of which he 

 had been entrusted, and concluded by moving that the thanks 

 of the Society be given to the Director, and that he be requested 

 to make his excellent Oration more public. 



The Chevalier Castillo, Consul-General in London for Spain, 

 was introduced, and admitted as a Foreign Member of the 

 Society. 



Several letters from distinguished foreigners were read, 

 among whom were Baron Humboldt, Baron Ferussac, Mr. 

 Wyttenbach ; and Mr. Jacquin, whose diploma of Honorary 

 Member was intrusted by the President to Mr. Vivenot, of 

 Vienna. 



A communication from his Majesty's Vice-Consul for Guati- 

 mala, Mr. Schenly, was read, and the meeting adjourned to 

 Friday the 10th day of Nov. 1826. 



Article XV. 



SCIENTIFIC NOTICES. 

 Chemistry. 

 1. On the Covfinement of Dry Gases over Mercury, 

 The results of an experiment made by Mr. Faraday, and 

 quoted as such, having been deemed of sufficient interest to be 

 doubted, he has been induced to repeat it, and though the origi- 

 nal experiment was not pubhshed by him, he is inclined to put 

 the latter and more careful one upon record, because of the 

 strong illustration it affords of the difficulty of confining dry 

 gases over mercury alone. Two volumes of hydrogen gas were 

 mixed with one volume of oxygen gas, in ajar over the mercu- 

 rial trough, and fused chloride of lime introduced, for the pur- 

 pose of removing hygrometric water. Three glass-bottles, of 

 about three ounces capacity each, were selected for the accuracy 

 with which their glass stoppers had been ground into them ; 

 they were well cleaned and dried, no grease being allowed upon 

 the stopper. The mixture of gases was transferred into these 

 bottles over the mercurial trough, until they were about four- 



