217 



April 7, 1847. 

 Dr. C. T. Jackson, Vice President, in the Chair. 



Dr. Cabot, in behalf of the Committee on the subject of 

 procuring a suitable edifice for the Society, reported that 

 the building in Mason Street, known as the Massachusetts 

 Medical College, was now for sale at a reasonable price, and 

 that the Committee, after a thorough examination of it, were 

 of opinion that it was capable of being adapted perfectly to 

 the wants of the Society. They therefore recommend that 

 it be purchased and undergo the necessary repairs and al- 

 terations, for the Society. Plans of the proposed improve- 

 ments were exhibited. 



After discussion, Mr. Emerson moved that the Committee 

 have authority to make the purchase, and cause the propos- 

 ed alterations to be made. It was voted unanimously. 



Dr. C. T. Jackson gave notices of some analyses of 

 Snow, which fell in Boston, in the last month, made by 

 one of his pupils, Mr. George O. Barnes. The object 

 was to ascertain the quantity of Ammonia brought down 

 from the atmosphere by the snow, which, as coming from a 

 region immediately over a large city, might be expected to 

 exhibit a larger quantity than was found by Liebig in his 

 analyses of snow at Giessen. The result was according to 

 expectation, the quantity, in 100 grains of water, being 1.33 

 gr. to 1.44 gr. in different experiments. 



Mr. Desor, in reference to the analyses of Snow, made 

 some remarks. 



The existence of Ammonia in snow, both in tlie glacial and 

 the higher mountain snows, had been inferred, many years ago, 

 from the fact that several iron vessels and tools, which had been 

 left during winter in the snow, were found the next spring free 

 from rust. Accurate analyses have since been made by Mr. 



