14 PROOEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF 



A young man suffering with acute tuberculosis presented, for two weeks be- 

 fore death, mild wandering delirium, and finally became almost unconscious, 

 with ecstatic expression and constant fumbling movements of the hands. 



At the autopsy, a diffused proliferation of the cells of the perivascular sheath 

 of the meningeal arterioles was found, though not producing at any point 

 granulations visible to the naked eye; and in several of these vessels emboli 

 were found impacted. 



Dr. Richardson stated that in examining the blood of a dog killed 

 by opium he had noted aggregations of white blood corpuscles float- 

 ing in the blood, but thought they might have occurred post mortem. 



Oct. 4fh, 1869. 

 Director, S. ^Y. Mitchell, M.D., in the Chair. 



Twenty members present. 



Dr. Mitchell read a paper by Prof. Christopher Johnson, of Balti- 

 more, descriptive of a case of male hermaphr.odism and hypospodias. 

 See Journal of Academy, 



Dr. Wm. Pepper made a verbal communication on the micro- 

 scopic characters of nerve fibrils after amputation. 



Oct. 18 fh, 1869. 

 Director, S. W. Mitchell, M.D., in the Chair. 



Nineteen members present. 



Dr. J. G. Richardson read a paper entitled " Observations and 

 Experiments tending to prove the identity of the so-called Halford's 

 Corpuscles with White Blood Corpuscles." 



Dr. Richardson also showed some of the blood of animals poisoned 

 by rattlesnake venom, in which the corpuscles of Halford were ren- 

 dered beautifully distinct by staining with aniline, and presented 

 all the characters of white blood corpuscles when treated by acetic 

 acid or water. 



Dr. H. C. Wood stated that he had recently been engaged in some extended 

 observations on the effects of the recently discovered alkaloids of veratrum 

 viride, viridia and veratroidia. With regard to the former, he had noted that when 

 given in poisonous doses, the first change manifested by the animal poisoned, 

 a rabbit for instance, was a disposition to be quiet, — the quietness being the 

 result, not of any cerebral affection, but of weakness. After a while the animal 

 begins to tremble, and this trembling soon becomes peculiar ; so that when 

 the hand is placed over the body of the creature, a succession of thrills are 

 noticed to ])ass throughout it. Soon, the strength failing, the animal lies al- 

 most flat upon the ground. After this come convulsions, the animal scream- 

 ing and running along the ground ; extreme weakness being apparent in the 

 position maintained, the bellj' almost dragging on the ground. Finally the 

 debility becomes more marked, the animal lies on its back, and dies, — death 

 taking place from asphj'xia, induced by paralysis of the respiratory muscles. 

 In no instance was there vomiting or purging. On placing the ha?modynamo- 

 meter in the femoral artery; the first effect noted is a diminution of arterial 

 pressure, and subsequently diminution of the heart's contractions, the pulse 

 going down from 150 to 50 or GO ; but the heart always continues to act after 

 respiration ceases ; death never takes place through the circulation. 



