98 REPORT — 1856. 



Recent Researches on the Cause of the Fluidity of the Blood. 

 By B. W. Richardson, M.D. 



The point of Dr. Richardson's researches consisted in the discovery of the volatile 

 alkali, ammonia, as a constituent of the living blood, and its escape from blood 

 abstracted from the bodj'. The author related a long series of demonstrative expe- 

 riments, all proving not only that ammonia v^ras present in the blood, but that upon 

 its presence the solubility of the fibrine, and therefore the fluidity of blood, de- 

 pended. The peculiarity of this demonstration of the cause of the fluidity of the 

 blood is, that it explains the different hypotheses which have previously been oflFered 

 on this question, and shows how far these hypotheses have approached or fallen 

 short of the truth. In concluding his paper. Dr. Richardson pointed out that 

 ammonia, in combination with carbonic acid gas, is a constaat constituent of the air 

 expired in the breath. The presence of ammonia in the animal economy, and its 

 evolution in respiration, was of interest, in that it connected more closely the link that 

 exists between the animal and vegetable worlds. But the subject was of the greatest 

 importance in relation to the causes, the nature and the treatment of various diseases, 

 especially those of the fever class. 



Experiments and Observations on the Development of Infusorial Animalcules. 

 By J. Samuelson, Honorary Secretary to the Royal Institution {Literary 

 Society), Hull. 



The author mentioned that, in March last, he had traced in rain-water the growth 

 of an infusorial animalcule, called Glaucoma scintillans, from one of the so-called 

 Monads of Ehrenberg, and, aided by a diagram, pointed out its gradual development ; 

 explaining, at the same time, the action of the internal organs, such as those of 

 digestion, &c., and the differentiation in structure which takes place as the animal- 

 cule grows older. He stated that he had fed these invisible forms with vegetable 

 cake in the first instance, and under the microscope with indigo, so that the process 

 of digestion was rendered visible (the latter is a mode which has for some time been 

 adopted by microscopists). Another phase in the existence of the animalcule was 

 then described by the author, namely, the encysting process ; also, the subsequent 

 appearance of numerous examples of Kerona, — a form of a higher character than 

 Glaucoma, which the author believed to be the result of the process just named. 

 Having obtained this glance at the life of Glaucoma, Mr. Samuelson then tried (at 

 the suggestion, he said, of Mr. Robert Hunt) what eflFect the rays of the sun would 

 have when filtered through variously-coloured glasses in accelerating or retarding 

 animalcular life. For this purpose, he fitted up a box containing three compartments, 

 covered by a pane of blue, red, and yellow glass respectively ; and he found that whilst 

 under the blue and red glass infusorial forms were rapidly developed, under the yellow 

 hardly any signs of life were visible. He then transferred a portion of the infusion 

 from the yellow to the blue compartment, when the infusorial forms very shortly 

 made their appearance. After this he varied the experiment, employing distilled 

 water and finely-cut hay, when the same results were even more strikingly exhibited. 

 The temperature, he said, under the three compartments varied on the average about 

 three degrees, though frequently the variation was greater, the blue always being the 

 lowest. After mentioning one or two other circumstances connected with the expe- 

 riment, Mr. Samuelson concluded with a review of the results, and observed that if 

 they should be confirmed, that is, if the differently- coloured rays could be proved to 

 operate variously upon animal and vegetable life (to which he also adverted in the 

 course of his paper), much new light would be thrown on the debateable ground 

 between the two kingdoms. , 



Description of the Ajuh, a hind of IJ^iale, found by Dr Vogel in the River 

 Benue (Central Africa) in September 1855. Translated and communicated 

 by Dr. Shaw. 



The Ajuh is a species of whale found in the River Benue, or Upper Chadda, by 

 Dr. Vogel, and is thus described by him : — It is black, horizontal, shovel-shaped, 

 with two fins, situate close behind the head, each with three three-jointed bones. 



