109 



NINTH ORDINARY MEETING, 



Held at tlie Royal Institution, on the 23rd February, 1857, 



THOMAS INMAN, Esq., M.D., President, in the Chair. 



Thomas Hutchinson, Esq., H.M. Consul at Fernando Po, was 

 elected a Corresponding Member of the Society. 

 . The foUowiug were elected Ordinary Members : — • 



Henry Imi.ach, M.D. • '- 



James Lewis. 



Mr. R. W. Anderson exhibited some specimens of silver to which 

 the irridescent colours of mother-of-pearl had been transferred. 



Dr. Edwards exhibited a specimen of amylene, a new anaesthetic 

 agent, introduced by Dr. Snow as a substitute for chloroform, for 

 producing insensibility to pain. It was said to produce less nausea and 

 more rapid effects than the substances already employed. It was a 

 very volatile clear liquid, lighter than ether, and but little more than 

 half the weight of water. It boiled at 102° Fahrenheit, and its vapour 

 was 2^ times heavier than air. It had a very penetrating and peculiar 

 odour, and its effects were very transient. It was a simple hydro- 

 carbon, isomeric with defiant gas, and contained carbon 10, hydrogen 

 10. It was prepared by the action of anhydrous phosphoric acid upon 

 potato spirit, but as several ethereal impurities were also formed, it was 

 with difficulty rectified therefrom. It would probably be useful in 

 special cases, but was not likely to supersede chloroform. 



The Chairman reminded the meeting that he had mentioned, on 

 a former occasion, the circumstance of finding the marks of a forester's 

 axe on one of the trees of the submarine forest at Blackpool. He had 

 lately visited the same spot, between Fleetwood and Blackpool, and had 

 seen two trees bearing the same unmistakeable marks ; showing that 

 these submarine forests were comparatively recent. 



The following paper was then read : — 



ON THE STUDY OF THE FUNGI. 

 By The Eev. H. H. HIGGINS, M.A., V.r. 



Having briefly stated the course which he considered the title to 

 suggest, tlic author alluded to the causes which had led to the 

 comparative neglect of that particular branch of study. Springing up 

 in the midst of corruption and decay, fungi were formerly regarded 



