Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinhuegh. 191 



living body in health and disease, were reserved for a future commu- 

 nication. 



Feb. 3. — Sir Thomas Makdodgall Brisbane, K. C. B. 

 President, in the Chair. The following communications were 

 read : — 



1. Notice of some recent discoveries in Organic Chemistry. 

 By William Grego y, M.D. 

 The author in this paper communicated to the Society an ac- 

 count of Creazote, a new organic principle lately discovered by M. 

 Reichenbach, which possesses remarkable antiseptic properties, and 

 is the source of the antiseptic power of wood-smoke, empyreuniatic 

 pyroligneous vinegar, and other empyreumatized substances ^ also of 

 a very volatile Huid, lately put into his hands by Mr Enderby of 

 London, which is obtained by the destructive distillation of caout- 

 chouc, and possesses in a higher degree than any other menstruum 

 the property of dissolving that substance ; and lastly, of three new 

 crystalline bodies which have lately been discovered by M. Robiquet, 

 and other French chemists, in opium, and wliich are named Narceine, 

 IMeconine, and Codeine. Specimens of the several substances were 

 exhibited. 



The author stated, more particularly in regard to the last of these 

 principles, that although in common with the two other newly dis- 

 covered principles of opium, it constitutes an extremely small 

 proportion of that drug, it may be obtained in a tolerably large quan- 

 tity from the muriate of morphia of commerce, which appears to con- 

 tain about a thirtieth of codeine. 



From experiments made on various healthy individuals with co- 

 deine, obtained in this manner, he is led to infer, that in the doze of 

 three, four, or five grains, it is distinctly stimulant in its action, and 

 to suspect that it may be in part the cause of the disagreeable exciting 

 effects produced by opium in some particular constitutions. 



Feb. 17. — James Russell, Esq. V. P. in the Chair. The 

 following communications were read : — 



1. Analysis of Coprolites from the Limestone of Burdie- 

 house. By A. Connell, Esq. 



These coprolites, as well as the limestone where they are found, 

 contain a trace of animal matter, as ammonia is disengaged at a red 

 heat. 



Muriatic acid dissolves the greater part with slight effervescence. 

 Ammonia throws down from the solution a copious gelatinous preci- 

 pitate of phosphate of lime ; and in the remaining fluid, oxalate of am- 

 monia throws down oxalate of lime. The matter left undissolved by 

 the muriatic acid is inflammable, leaving a small siliceous residue, 

 and appears to be bituminous matter derived from the matrix. There 

 is no magnesia, sulphur, nor fluorine. 



The analysis of two coprolites, measuring from two inches to two 

 inches and a half in length, and containing each a few fish scales, gave 

 the following numerical results. 



