Royal Society. 227 
have effected the complete removal of the cataracts in the space 
of five or six weeks, This difference in the two modes of ope- 
rating, it is of great importance to myself distinetly to specify, 
otherwise, from its being generally known that I was the sole 
confidential pupil and assistant of the late Mr. Saunders in his 
operations for cataract, among those who are now pursuing the 
profession of an oculist, it might be considered by many, who 
have not seen my work on diseases of the eye, that I still, as in 
the commencement of my practice, follow his modes of opera- 
tion, whereas I have long since found it necessary wholly to aban- 
don them.”’ 
In the formal official report, with which the publication con- 
cludes, the directors state that having examined the pensioners 
“¢ on whom operations had been performed by other oculists of 
undoubted character and eminence, it appeared that many of 
these pensioners had irrecoverably lost their sight, the eye being 
in several instances entirely sunk, and, except in one instance, 
none had experienced the desired relief.” 
The directors then proceed to pay the following just tribute to 
the merits of Mr. Adams : 
~ « The pensioners who had been under the care of Mr. Adams 
were next examined and interrogated, and their respective cases 
were compared with the report enclosed in the above-mentioned 
letter from the physician, surgeon, and apothecary ; and the 
board were much gratified by so many instances of the great suc- 
cess which had attended the operations of Mr.Adams. The 
effect of those operations appeared to be accurately in the report 
in question.” 
While we congratulate our readers on the manifest improve- 
ments thus recorded in the treatment of that most delicate of all 
human organs, the eye, it affords us additional satisfaction, to 
learn that the directors of Greenwich Hospital have requested 
Mr. Adams to continue his praiseworthy exertions, haviug placed 
an additional number of pensioners under his care. 
XLVHI. Proceedings of Learned Societies. 
ROYAL SOCIETY. 
Feb. 24, and March 3. Tue Right Hon. President in the chair. 
A long paper by Dr. Herschell was read, detailing the result of 
many years observations on the sidereal and nebulous appearance 
of the heavens. The Doctor began by relating his observations 
on the relative magnitudes of the stars, considering those of the 
first magnitude to be equal to our sun; determined the magni- 
tudes and changes in the appearance of a great number of fixed 
; PZ stars 5 
