47 



Tlie followino; communications were read : 



1. Notice of some recent discoveries in Organic Chemistry 

 By William Gregory, M.D. 



The author in this paper communicated to the Society an ac- 

 count of Creazote, a new organic principle lately discovered by M. 

 Reichenbach, which possesses remarkable antiseptic properties, and 

 is the source of the antiseptic power of wood-smoke, empyreumatic 

 pyroligneous vinegar, and other empyreumatized substances j also of 

 a very volatile fluid, lately put into his hands by Mr Enderby of 

 London, which is obtained by the destructive distillation of caout- 

 chouc, and possesses in a higlier degree than any other menstruum 

 the property of dissolving that substance ; and lastly, of three new 

 crystalline bodies which have lately been discovered by M. Robiquet, 

 and other French chemists, in opium, and which are named Narceine, 

 Meconine, and Codeine. Specimens of the several substances were 

 exhibited. 



The author stated, more particularly in regard to the last of these 

 principles, that although in common with the two other newly dis- 

 covered principles of opium, it constitutes an extremely small 

 proportion of that drug, it may be obtained in a tolerably large quan- 

 tity from the muriate of morphia of commerce, which appears to con- 

 tain about a thirtieth of codeine. 



From experiments made on various healthy individuals with co- 

 deine, obtained in this manner, he is led to infer, that in the doze of 

 three, four, or five grains, it is distinctly stimulant in its action, and 

 to suspect that it may be in part the cause of the disagreeable exciting 

 effects produced by opium in some particular constitutions. 



2. On the Structure, Position, and other particulars of a 

 Fossil Tree found in Craigleith Quarry in the month of 

 October last. By H. T. Maire Witham, Esq. 



The author describes this fossil tree as lying at an angle of sixty 

 degrees and a half, with its direction between S. E. by E. 10"", and 

 N. W. by W. 10°, The strata in which it is imbedded dip at an 

 angle of 20'' towards the S. E. This tree differs from that which 

 was found in the same quarry in 1830, in being much less flattened, 

 indeed nearly cylindrical ; and this diflference appears to be account- 

 ed for by its almost vertical position, in consequence of which, the 

 pressure of the surrounding medium would act in an equal degree all 

 round the stem. 



