316 



putrefaction of the albumen ; but 1 have found as manifest indi- 

 cations of sugar in a fresh laid egg as in one that had been 

 kept for several days." 



April 9th, 1849. 



REV. HUMPHREY LLOYD, D. D., President, 

 in the Chair. 



Daniel Brady, M. D. ; Benjamin Lee Guinness, Esq. ; 

 Henry Kennedy, M. B. ; and Hon. Thomas Vesey, M. P. ; 

 were elected members of the Academy. 



Mr. Donovan read a paper on the Preparation of Phos- 

 phorus. 



The early processes of Hellot, Dolfuss, Henckel, Mar- 

 graaf, and others, were first commented on, and their disgust- 

 ing, troublesome, and inefficient nature pointed out. 



At this time the price of phosphorus was enormous. Mr. 

 Boyle induced a chemist to adopt a new method, which ena- 

 bled him to produce phosphorus so abundantly, that its price 

 fell to six guineas per ounce. At present it may be purchased 

 for half as many shillings. 



But when Gahn discovered that the earthy part of bone 

 consists of phosphate of lime, a more abundant source of phos- 

 phorus was made known to chemists. From two pounds of 

 bone ashes, Wiegleb obtained ten drachms and a half of phos- 

 phorus ; Dolfuss, rather less than five drachms ; and Pelletier 

 sometimes so much as three ounces. 



Observations were made on the practical difficulties, de- 

 fects, and great trouble of the bone-ash process ; and remedies 

 were pointed out. It was shown that bones are procurable 

 in various commercial states, viz., in coarse powder, for the 

 purposes of agriculture; burned to blackness in the process for 



