522 



" The centre of the hurricane also passed over Mount 

 Armstrong, in the county of Kildare, the residence of Christo- 

 pher Rynd, Esq., about eighteen miles due west of Dublin. 

 I was at his house on the 19th of April, and saw the devas- 

 tation committed on all sides of his premises, as well as the 

 bare walls of an out-office, from which the roof had been car- 

 ried in one mass into the air, and then dashed to the earth at 

 a distance of 200 yards. The following is the substance of a 

 written account of the occurrence by Mr. Rynd : 



" ' The first appearance of change of weather was from dis- 

 tant thunder, and occasional flashes of lightning, at a quarter 

 past 3 p. M. This continued about a quarter of an hour, 

 when suddenly a terrific hail storm commenced, and lasted 

 about ten minutes. Before it ceased a frightful rushing sound, 

 like the escape of steam from a large steam engine, was heard ; 

 and then, just as the hail ceased, the hurricane commenced. 

 My yard of offices and house form a perfect square, and, 

 to the best of my belief, every side was simultaneously at- 

 tacked ; and one large new roof (indeed they were all new) 

 was completely raised in amass, — timber, ton-slates, and wall- 

 plate, — and carried 200 yards into a field. There was no storm 

 of wind at 300 yards on either side ; it travelled in a nacrow 

 space, and caused no other damage worthy of notice in my 

 neighbourhood.' " 



]\Ir. Donovan read tlie following paper on the position 

 in society of pliysicians amongst tlie Greeks and Romans : 



" The condition of the physicians of ancient Greece and Home 

 has been a subject of controversy amongst Avriters on medical 

 antiquities, some maintaining that they were all slaves, -while 

 others were of opinion that a limited number only were of the 

 servile class. A passage in Suetonius' Life of Julius C^sar has 

 given occasion to liis commentators to open the question ; and 

 some learned physicians, for the honour of theii- profession, have 

 discussed it more extensively, and wuth much greater effect. 



