14 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OP 



miuation, being intended to be used with diffused daylight, or di- 

 rected towards a source of artificial illumination. 



At the annual election for officers held this evening, the following 

 were chosen : — 



Director, S. W. Mitchell, M. D. 



Vice Director, Wm. Pepper, M. D. 



Recorder, James Tyson, M. D, 



Corresponding Secretary, J. H. McQuillen, M. D. 



Conservator, Herbert Norris, M. D. 



Treasurer, C. N. Pierce, D. D. S. 



Dec. 21st, 1868. 

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



Twenty members present. 



Dr. J. H. McQuillen exhibited, in further illustration of his pre- 

 vious communication, slides of blood corpuscles of men and lower 

 animals to which chloroform and nitrous oxide had been adminis- 

 tered, to show that there was no 'morphological chauge in these 

 bodies after administration of anaesthetics, as contended for by B. 

 W. Richardson, Sanson and others. The doctor also exhibited 

 slides of blood corpuscles with which chloroform and ether had 

 been brought in actual contact, producing under these circumstances 

 actual disintegration. Dr. McQ,. believes that the anaesthetics act 

 primarily upon the nervous centres, as early contended for by Flou- 

 rens and" the French physiologists generally. 



Mr. W, H. Walmsley called the attention of the Department to the very 

 great merits of Glycerine jelly as a medium for preservation of every descrip- 

 tion of objects, animal or vegetable, and exhibited specimens of both. I was 

 led to experiment willi it about one year ago, owing to the unsatisfactory 

 results obtained from the use of balsam in many classes of objects, its high 

 refracting power rendering many delicate tissues invisible, which are seen 

 perfectly in the jelly. At first I was not very successful, having followed the 

 formula; of Davies and other English authorities in making it ; the intense 

 heat of our early summer liquified it, and spoiled many specimens. After 

 many experiments, I arrived at a satisfactory result, the fluid readily jellying 

 in an hour or two during the hottest days of August. 



The advantages of this medium I deem to be various and obvious, and that 

 it combines within itself more than are possessed by any other with which we 

 are as yet acquainted. Its preservative qualities I believe to be unsurpassed, 

 for nearly every description of tissues or structure, animal or vegetable ; it 

 preserves the colors of the latter in absolute perfection, it is very readily pre- 

 pared and used, it attaches the covering glass to the side with sufficient tena- 

 city for all practical purposes, whilst the finishing ring of varnish will render 

 it quite secure. It is equally available for objects requiring to be mounted in 

 deep cells, and there is no danger of leakage, as is the case with all fluids ; it 

 can be readily removed from slide and cover with hot water, if necessary. 

 The refractive powers of the glycerine are sufficient to render all inert struc- 

 tures transparent, whilst even the delicate lines upon the scales of a mosquito's 

 wing, are as distinctly visible as though mounted dry. 



Finally, I desire, in bringing the subject before the Department, and mention- 

 ing my experience with its use, to interest other members in the matter, to in- 

 duce them to try it, and to bring together from time to time the results we 

 may severally arrive at. For I conceive it to be almost as important to arrive 



