2f 8 French National Institute. 



lory of animals. He has described several new species, 

 flniono- which we have to remark in parlicular one oF the 

 fish thrown up sonsctimes by the volcanoes in South Ame- 

 rica. Do they live in subterranean lakes which have a 

 communication with the sea? 



M, rVron has coniniunicaled to us two observations ex- 

 ceediniJ^Iy valuable in regard to the natural history of man. 

 The first i elates to the celebraied apron of the tiottentot wo- 

 men ; denied by some, and differently described by others. 

 M. Peron proves that it is a natural excrescence, which, 

 forms one of the characters of a particular race knowri 

 tmder the name of the Boschmen. The other observationi 

 relates to the strength of the savages. A number of expe- 

 riments, made by Kegnier's dynamometer, has shown that 

 they are sensibly weaker, cce/eris parihuSy tha,n the people 

 of civilized nations. 



We long ago announced the celebrated work of Berthollct 

 entitled Statique Chhnicjue. M.Pinel has written another, 

 the title of which is Statique ylnatomiquc. We have an- 

 other of the same kind written in the century before last 

 by the celebrated Borelli ; but mechanics and anatomy have 

 both since that period made so much progress, that Borclli's 

 work, excellent for its time, is at present superannuated. 



A particular object of anatomy, namely, the teeth, has 

 been long studied by M. Tenon. This profound anatomist 

 has made so many discoveries on this subject, that it is more 

 indebted to him than to any person who preceded him. He 

 has lately read to us a memoir on a substance peculiar to the 

 teeth of certain herbivorous animals, such c^s the horse and 

 elephant, which envelops the enamel. 



The same physician has communicated to us a great work 

 on diseases of the eyes, which he will soon publish, and 

 another on the diseases peculiar to hatters. The latter arise 

 chiefly from the use which hatters make of mercury to ren- 

 der common hair fit to be manufactured into felt, since we 

 were deprived of beaver skins by the loss of Canada. These 

 diseases cannot be prevented but by weakening as much as 

 possible the mercurial liquor employed, or by endeavouring 

 to discover some other kind of hair which may be converted 

 into fe't without that liquor. 



M. Tenon has read to us also several memoirs on surgery, 

 concerning the diflerent methods hiiherto used to prevent 

 or correct^those accidents which are inseparable from our 

 nature. Of this kind are instruments proper for extirpating 

 polypes of the nose; and a method, by compression, of 

 stopping hnemorrhages of the mouth. 



[To be cou'.iiiuerf.] 



i 



