354 French Nutiunal Institute. 



the revolutions in poetrv, not only among the antient na- 

 tions best known, but among modern nations, dating from 

 the epoch at which they can be reckoned among civilized 

 nations." 



The society desires that the author will examine whether 

 the revolutions, proo;rcss, and decline of poetry, as well as 

 the variations of its forms, among civilized nations, have 

 followed the progress of their moral, civil, and religious 

 knowledge, and of the other sciences, or have been inde- 

 pendent of them ? 



The memoirs must be transmitted to the society, with 

 the proper address, betore the 1st of April 1806. The 

 prize is a gold medal value 400 florins. 

 - The society renewed at the same time, and with the same 

 prize, another question, before proposed, to which no suf- 

 ficient answer had been received: — " Does the history of 

 the moral sciences prove that the application of metaphy- 

 sical theories has been useful to their progress ? or does it 

 teach ui, on the contrary, that no progress can be made in 

 these sciences but by observation, experiments, the conse- 

 quences deduced from them, and the scientific calculations 

 established on these data? And what rules does the history 

 of science prescribe in this respect, to those who wish to 

 contribute in the most effectual manner to its progress ? 



The memoirs for these two prizes may be written in 

 Dutch, Latin, French, English, or German; but not in 

 German characters. The address is, Aan Tijlers Fundatie 

 Huts, at Haerlem. 



FnE>7CH NATIONAL INSTTTUTE. 



/In Jccovnt of the Labours of the Class of the Mathema- 

 tical and Physical Sciences of the French National Insti- 

 tute from the -20th of June 1804 to the suine Day 1805. 

 By 3/. CuviF.u, perpettial Secretary, 



[Continued from p. 27S.] 



M. Despacrts has connnunicated a singular qiedical fact, 

 made known to him bv M. Burtini, phvs'.cian of Asti. A 

 voung woman, after a severe indisposition, accompan . d by 

 a tumour in the region of the liver, voided fourteen b'adders 

 of the size of an egg, the shells of which have not become 

 hard, and filled with a gkuinous liquor a little yellowish in 

 the middle. A report had been spread among the people 

 that this young woman laid real eggs. These bladders, 

 according to M. Burtini, had no appearance of bodies that 

 had ever been animalcd. 



M. Dessaerts, 



