108 French National Inftitute. 
C. Défeffarts produced fome new facts in fupport of his 
fyftem, that the natural {mall-pox may be rendered much 
more favourable by the proper ufe of fome mercurial appli- 
cations. He, however, expreffed a with of feeing inocu- 
lation become more general, and that this cruel malady 
may be altogether deftroyed by weakening its malignity. 
C. Bougainville, diftinguifhed both as a writer and.ana- 
vigator, read the firft part of his Hiftorical Eflay on Ancient 
and Modern Navigation in high northern latitudes. 
C. Langles read a memoir on the language and literature 
of the Arabs. 
C. Lacepede fhewed, from the induftry difplayed by birds 
in the ftru@ture of their nefts, the meafure of the different 
degrees of their inftinét, and of the attachment they have 
to their females and young. 
A friend read for C. Roederer an explanation of the mo- 
tives which induced his clafs to propofe as the fubject of a 
prize, ‘‘ An examination of the inftitutions beft calculated 
to lay a foundation for morality among nations.” 
C. Fourcroy gave the refult of fome experiments which 
he made in concert with C. Vauquelin, to analife the ftone 
formed in the human bladder. Thefe: two chemifts think 
it poffible to diffolve in the living fubje&t this fatal accumu- 
lation, which occafions the moft acute pains ; and they hope 
‘that the refult of their labours will render unneceffary in 
moft cafes the dangerous operation of cutting *. This will 
form a new benefit of chemiftry, already fo ufeful in its ap- 
plication to the arts of induftry. 
The fitting was terminated by C. Ducis reading his Epitre 
2 Vien on the great revolution which has taken place in 
painting fince the middle of the prefent century, a revolu- 
tion which he chiefly afcribed to the precepts and ener 
of Vien. 
* Water impregnated with carbonic acid gas, and drank for fome time 
as a common beverage, has been found todiffolve the ftene. Eprr. 
MISCEL- 
