252 
Jeast, that they are so, in a greater 
abundance, and more rapidly, than by 
the lacteal vessels. 
M. Fodera, a young Sicilian physi- 
cian, has presented a Memoir, wherein 
he considers absorption and exhalation 
as a simple imbibition (imbibing) and a 
transudation, which depend only on the 
organic capillarity of the tissue of the 
vessels. The same physiologist has re- 
peated, with great precision, the experi- 
ments of Messrs. Woollaston, Brande, 
and Marcet; which tend to prove that 
certain substances pass directly from the 
stomach into the reins and bladder, 
without being drawn into the circu- 
Jation. 
The following details certain facts ob- 
served by M. Majendie. ‘The nerves 
are, at once, the organs of sentiment 
and of voluntary motion ; but these two 
functions are not, entirely, depending 
one on the other; the former may be an- 
nihilated, without any diminution of the 
latter, and vice versa. It has alicady 
been proved, that -they have different 
seats in the masses which compose the 
brain. Anatomists have been long en- 
deavouring to ascertain whether they 
have also, in the tissue of the nervous 
cordons, pendicles (des filets) exclu- 
sively assigned to them; but, hitherto, 
hypotheses have been advanced on this 
head rather than positive facts. The 
experiments of M. Majendie may seem 
to resolye this problem definitively. The 
nerves that proceed from the spinal 
marrow derive their origin through two 
sorts of roots or fillets, some anterior, 
others posterior, which unite at their 
issuing from the spine, to form the trunk 
of each pair of nerves. M. Majendie, 
having opened the spine of the back of a 
young dog, without injuring the nerves, 
or its marrow, proceeded to cut the pos- 
terior roots enly of some nerves, and be 
instantly perceived that the correspond- 
ing member was insensible to any punc- 
turibg or squeezing. He, at first, con- 
sidered it as paralysed ; but soon, to b's 
great surprise, saw it move very dis- 
tinctly. Three experiments producing 
a similar effect, he was led to think that 
the posterior roots of. the nerves might be 
especially appropriated to sensibility, 
aud the anterior to motion. He next 
attempted to cut, separately, the ante- 
rior roots, an operation much more dif- 
ficult, and which, affer a number of 
trials, he effected. ‘The member then 
beeame faint and motionless, but retain- 
ing the symptoms of sensibility. ‘Trials 
Proceedings of Public Societies. 
[Oct. 1 ? 
made on the nux vomica led to the same 
conclusions ; no convulsions appeared in 
the members of this fish, the nerves of 
which had lost their anterior roots, but 
those which had only retained their pos- 
tcrior roots had shocks as violent as if 
all the roots had remained untouched. 
The effects of the irritation are not so 
distinct; there appears a number of con- 
tractions, mixed with sigus of sensibi- 
lity, but the contractions excited by 
pinching or pricking the anterior roots 
are marked more sensibly by infinite 
degrees. — 
M. Geoffroy St. Hilaire, who has pro- 
duced a work on monstrosities, bas 
been extending his researches to a Com- 
parisca of the Organs of Dejection, and 
those of Gencration, in Birds, proceed- 
ing, at length, to compare the genital 
organs in the two sexes. Herein, all 
the difficulties of the question are col- . 
lected. In these respects, the author 
considers the monotremes, those extra- 
ordinary quadrupeds of New Holland, 
which unite the shoulders of a reptile 
with the beak of a bird, and the strue- 
ture of whose genital organs is so para- 
doxical, that, though they are_hot- 
pisesivah and have bodies covered with 
air, as quadrupeds, it is doubtful whe- 
iher they are not oviparous, like reptiles, 
M. Geoffroy inclines to the affirmative, 
relying on the testimony of a traveller, 
who vyouches for having observed the 
fact; and, according to report, has 
brought over tu Europe some eggs of 
the ornithoryneus, the name of that 
singular species of animals. According 
to his account, which he professes to 
have received from the abotiginals Of 
the country, the female prepares a nest, 
wherein she deposits two eggs. 4 
The organization of the lamprey has 
never been correctly discriminated as to 
any distinelive index of sex. Messrs. 
Majendie and Desmoulins haye ob- 
served, in an individual of this species, 
that it had an organ placed like the 
ovary of others; but, in ifs form or 
siructure, it was analogous to the organs 
of the male of the shad. At the same 
time, and in the same river, another 
lamprey, smaller, with ovaries more 
prominent, avd visibly filled with eggs, 
was taken. Hence the former lamprey 
is supposed to be ose of those males that 
have been so Jong sought for: its liver 
was of a dask green colour, the female’s 
was of a reddish yellow. : 
The approaches of the animal and 
vegetable Kirigdoms to each other, are 
by 
