Uoyal Society. 49 



eighth Fair on the Secretions of the Stomach. By B.C. Brodie, 

 Esq. F.Il.S. Communicated by the Society for the Promotion 

 of Animal Chemistry. — 9. On a fossil human Skeleton tVoin 

 Guadaloupe. By Charles Konig, Esq. F.R.S. In a Letter ad- 

 dressed to the Right Hon. Sir Josepli Banks, Bart. K.B. P.R.S. 

 — !0. A new Method of deducing a first Approximation to the 

 Orbit of a Comet from three Geocentric Observations. By 

 James Ivory, A.M. Communicated by Henry Ikougham, Esq. 

 F.R.S. — 11. On the Affections of Light transmitted through 

 crvstallized Bodies. By David Brewster, LL.D. F.R.S. Edin. and 

 F.S.A. Edin. In a Letter to Sir Humphry Davy, LL.D. F.R.S. 

 — 12. On the Polarisation of Light by obhque Transmission 

 through all Bodies, whether crystallized or uncrystallized. By 

 David Brewster, LL.D. F.R.S. Edin. and F.S.A. Edin. In a 

 Letter addressed to Taylor Combe, Esq. Sec. R.S.— 13. Further 

 Exp»-riments on the Light of the Cassegrainian Telescope com- 

 pared >vitli that of the Gregorian. By Captain Heary Kater, Bri- 

 gade Major. Ilia Letter addressed to the Right Hon. Sir Joseph 

 Banks, Bart. K.B. P.R.S. — 14. Astronomical Observations re- 

 lating to the sidereal Part of the Heavens, and its Connection 

 with the nebulous Part; arranged for the Purpose of a critical 

 Examination. By William Herschel, LL.D. F.R.S. 



XII. Proceedings of Learned Societies, 



ROYAL SOCIETY. 



June 30. 1 he Right Hon. President in thp Chair. Sir 

 Everard Home furnished an Account of his various Experiments 

 on Rabbits, &;c. tending to elucidate the influence of the nerves 

 on the secretions. The results, so far as could be ascertained 

 from the action of living matter after having sustained a me- 

 chanical injury, were decidedly in favour of the opinion, that 

 ^1 secretions are etfected by nervous influence. 



Smithson Tenant, Esq. described A new Method of Double 

 Distillation by means of Steam, wiiereby double the quantity of 

 fresh-water mav be raised from salt-water in a ship's kettle, that 

 has hitherto been obtained. His process was illustrated by a 

 drawing, showing how steam can be made to pass through wa- 

 ter, and thus contribute to evaporize it, so that an additional 

 quantity of fresh-water may I)e procured in the same time and 

 with the same apparatus from sea-water at sea. 



An Account of a Scries of Observations on the Formation of 

 human Bones, made by Mr. Hou-^ham, was communicated by 

 J. Heaviside, Escj. The author having favourable opportunities 



Vol. 44. No. 195. Ju/y 1814. D for 



