Natural History. 237 
of blood, in which concretions were occasionally found of the 
size of small hazel-nuts, and with a tuberculated surface ; their 
texture is usually compact, but sometimes rather cellular, and 
in two instances hollow. They were submitted to a chemical 
examination by M. Braconnot. Boiled in water they lost a 
small quantity of saline and animal matter; they were then 
submitted to the action of boiling solution of potash, by which 
they were scarcely affected; they were subsequently dried, 
pulverized, and digested in sulphuric acid, which produced a 
thick mucilage, soluble in water, and was converted after some 
hours’ boiling into sugar. Muriatic acid exerted no action upon 
these concretions, but they were decomposed by nitric acid. They 
burned with flame, but without the disagreeable odour of animal 
matter. Upon the whole, they may be regarded as composed 
of woody fibre, and resemble some bezoars sent to France by 
the king of Persia, and examined by M. Berthollet*; but how 
were these woody concretions formed ? In answer to this question 
M. Braconnot’s observations are far from furnishing any in- 
telligible reply —Ann. de Chim. et Phys., XX. 194. 
7. Anatomy of the Brain.—A new periodical work has been 
just published, entitled, ‘* Anatomical and Physiological Com- 
mentaries, by Herbert Mayo, Surgeon and Lecturer on Ana- 
tomy.”’ Our readers will here find a translation of Keil’s 
Essays on the Structure of the Brain, which, although scarcely 
known in this country, appear to possess the highest interest 
and importance ; we are, therefore, glad to see them at length 
introduced to the English reader. 
8. Employment of Iodine for the Relief of Cancer.—We have 
heard that iodine, in the form of alcoholic solution, duly diluted 
with simple sirop, has been used with success in one of the 
Paris hospitals in allaying the pain and increase of a cancerous 
tumour in the breast ; but we have been unable to obtain from 
our correspondent any satisfactory particulars of the ease; we, 
therefore, merely throw out the rumour for the consideration of 
our medico-chirurgical readers. 
9. Effects of drinking Boiling Water.—It is the custom of 
some poor and thoughtless persons to suffer children to drink 
from the spout of a tea-kettle while filling it at the pump ; 
they have afterwards attempted to drink when it has just been 
taken from the fire, supposing it still to contain cold water, 
No less than four cases of this kind are related in the Medico- 
Chirurgical Transactions, by Dr. Hall. The symptoms pro- 
duced are those of croup, that is, of inflammation of the glot- 
tis and larynx, and not, as might haye been expected, of the 
* Mem. d’Arcueil, I1., 448. 
