Philosophical Transactions. 129 



such vessels, and to describe their situation and appearance, 

 aided by engravings of Mr. Bauer's admirable drawings. 



" To show the course of the absorbed fluids, as well as to give a clear 

 idea of every thing counected with so important a discovery, a drawing of 

 the spleen, the vas breve, and cardiac portion of the stomach, is annexed 

 [PI. IV;] and as the trunk of the splenic vein forms one of the trunks of 

 the vena portse, the liquids are directly carried to the liver, forming a part 

 of the materials employed in producing the bile ; the remainder only 

 returning by the vena cava to the heart. 



" This additional quantity of liquids passing along the splenic vein, 

 accounts for its being five times the size of the artery, as well as for the 

 blood in that vein having a greater proportion of serum than the blood in 

 any other, which has been long asserted, and which I found by actual 

 experiment to be the case ; but being unable to account for it, as I can 

 now, I was willing to admit that the mode of measuring might be er- 

 roneous." 



The remaining section of this lecture is dedicated to the 

 structure and uses of the spleen. It is shown to consist of 

 blood-vessels, between which there is no cellular membrane, 

 the interstices being filled with serum, and with the colouring 

 matter of the blood from the lateral orifices in the veins 

 when these vessels are distended, which serum is afterwards 

 removed by the absorbents belonging to the organ, and carried 

 into the thoracic duct by a very large absorbent trunk; 

 so that from this mechanism " the spleen appears to be 

 a reservoir for the superabundant serum, lymph globules, 

 soluble mucus, and colouring matter, carried into the circu- 

 lation immediately after the process of digestion is coifl- 

 pleted." 



vi. On two new Compounds of Chlorine and Carbon, and on a new 

 Compoioid of Iodine, Carbon, and Hydrogen. By Mr. M. 

 Faraday, Chemical Assistant in the Royal Institution. 



Tn a former number of our Journal we have abstracted the 

 material facts contained in this paper*, (vol. x., p. 386 ;) our 

 readers will there observe that the author has described the 

 properties of two new compounds of chlorine and carbon ; in 

 conjunction with Mr. Phillips, he has more recently ascer- 

 tained the existence of another combination of the same ele- 

 ments in different proportions, so that chlorine and carbon 

 which a year ago were not known to be susceptible of chemical 

 union, are now shown to constitute three distinct compounds. 



The various direct and collateral researches by which the 

 nature and properties of these bodies are determined and 

 illustrated, are amply and explicitly given in the paper before 

 us, wliich we consider as a truly valuable contribution to che- 



U,!o /' ''"^ "'"" ''^®" published at length in Mr. Phillips's Amah of Phi- 

 ' Vol. XII. K 



