Meteorological Observations. 22 3 



alcohol and sether, as already described. The quassin has the form 

 of small white prisms ; it is very slightly soluble in water, 100 parts 

 dissolving only 0*45. The aqueous solution of quassin is precipitated 

 white by tannin ; chlorine and iodine produce no effect upon it. It 

 is scarcely soluble in a;ther ; alcohol is the best solvent, the action 

 of which is greater the more highly rectified it is, and as the tem- 

 perature is higher. All its solutions are colourless. ITie quassin is 

 a neutral body ; the sulphuric and nitric acids dissolve it, but do not 

 combine with it, nor are they neutralized by it ; heat separates them 

 and leaves the quassin pure. It is composed of 



Hydrogen 6-827 



Carbon 66'912 



^ Oxygen 26-261 



100- 

 '^Journal de Chimie Medicate, December 1837. 



NEEDLES RENDERED MAGNETIC BY THE NERVES. 



The Compte Rendu for January 2, 1838, which we have just re- 

 ceived, contains the following important notice : M. Becquerel 

 made the following communication to the French Academy from a 

 letter he had received from M. De La Rive : " Dr. Prevost, of Geneva 

 has succeeded in magnetizing very delicate soft-iron needles, by 

 placing them near to the nerves, and perpendicular to the direction 

 which he supposed the electric current took. The magnetizing took 

 place at the moment when on irritating the spinal marrow a muscular 

 contraction was effected in the animal." — [W. F.] 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS FOR DECEMBER 1837. 



Chiswick. — Dec. 1. Clear: very fine: frosty at night. 2 — 5. Dense 

 fog. 6. Cloudy and cold : snow at night. 7. Sleet : hazy. 8. Foggy : 

 showery. 9. Foggy. 10. Hazy: very fine. 11 — 13. J'ine. 14. Frosty: 

 very fine. 15, 16. Fine. 17. Rain. 18. Stormy and wet. 19. Over- 

 cast : rain. 20. Boisterous with rain. 21. Cloudy: very fine. 22. Drizzly. 

 23. Slight haze. 24. Hazy. 25. Very fine. 26. 27. Hazy and mild. 

 28—31. Very fine. 



Boston. — Dec. 1. Fine : rain early a.m. 2. Fine. 3, 4. Foggy. 



5. Cloudy. 6. Cloudy : snow p.m. 7. Cloudy : rain p.n. 8. Cloudy : 

 rain early A.M. 9. Cloudy. 10, 11. Cloudy: rain early a.m. 12. Fine: 

 rain p.m. 18, 14. Cloudy. 15, 16. Fine : rain p.m. 17. Cloudy. 



18. Cloudy : rain early a.m. 19. Cloudy : rain p.m. 20. Rain : hur- 

 ricane with rain p.m. 21. Cloudy. 22—24. Cloudy : rain early a.m. 

 25. Fine : rain early a.m. 26— 29 Cloudy. 30. Fine. 31. Fine: 

 rain early a.m. 



