156 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



gards the proportion of earthy matter, the ilium containing some- 

 what more of earths, the scapula and sternum somewhat less, the 

 sternum containing more earths than the scapula. 



6th. The bones of the head contain more earthy matter than the 

 bones of the trunk, as observed by Dr. J. Davy ; but the humerus 

 and other long bones approach very near in their proportion of 

 earths. 



7th. The metatarsal bones may probably be ranked with those of 

 the trunk in proportional constitution. 



The cancellated structure of bone is shown by the author to con- 

 tain less earthy matter than the more solid parts of the same bone ; 

 the canceUi of a rib contained 4 per cent, less of earths than the solid 

 external crust. 



Several of the laws of relative proportion observed in the adult 

 skeleton were shown to hold good in the fcetal bones*. Thus, the 

 bones of the upper contain more earthy matter than those of the 

 lower extremity. 



The humerus contains more earthy matter than the radius and 

 ulna, and the femur more than the tibia and fibula. 



The ilium contains more, and the scapula less earthy matter than 

 the clavicle or rib. 



The great difference observable in the proportional constitution 

 of the adult and foetal bones, consists in the fact that the long bones 

 and the bones of the head do not contain the excess of earths ob- 

 served in the adult skeleton. 



The author concludes, by showing that the bones of the trunk, 

 in the foetus, contain as large a proportion of earthy matter as those 

 of the adult. 



ON THE AMMONIACAL AND OTHER BASIC COMPOUNDS OF THE 

 COPPER AND SILVER FAMILIES. BY PROFESSOR KANE.f 

 Having verified Berzelius' formula for the ammoniacal sulphate of 

 copper CM sog + 2 NH3 + ho.. Dr. Kane pointed out, that, from the 

 circumstances of its formation, and others, the real formula must be 

 (NH3H0 + SO3) + NH3.CM0; and that by heat it loses NH3.H0. and 

 leaves a compound NH3.CM o + SO3. ; by still more heat there re- 

 mains 2 SO3 -f 2 CM o + NH3 or CM0.SO3. + (nHj.cm o) SO3. and by 

 water there is formed the ordinary basic sulphate CM0.SO3 + 3 cmo 



-f 4 HO. 



Dr. Kane describes likewise a new basic sulphate as SO3 + 8 cm 

 + 12 HO. and he arranges these two salts as 



1 = CM 0.SO3 CM o + 2 (cm + 2 no\ 



2 = CM 0.SO3. CM o + 6 (cm + 2 ho), 



and seeks to establish an analogy with the ordinary salts of the same 

 family, as 



zno. SO3 HO + 6. ho and cm o.sOj.cm o + 6 cm o. 



* The foetal bones examined by the author were deprived of fat, peri- 

 osteum, and epiphysis, and were perfectly dry. 



f From the Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy for May 28, |838; 

 with corrections by the author. 



