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XXVIII. Proceedings of Learned Societies. 
ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. 
Jan. 31. Tue night Hon. President in the chair. A pa-: 
per by Mr. Home was read on the non-conducting powers 
of the thoracic duct and the spleen from the stomach to the 
bladder. Mr. H. related a number of experiments. made 
with ligatures, or by removing the spleen and keeping a 
ligature on the thoracic duct, im which state rhubarb was 
taken into the stomach of the animal, and was detected in 
the urine; whence he inferred, contrary to some opimions 
he formerly published, that those two organs are not neces- 
sary to the secretion of urine. 
Feb. 7. Mr. Smithson’s paper on zeolite was read. This 
ingenious mineralogist having received some specimens of, 
this mineral from M. Hauy himself, and labelled by his 
own hand, he deemed it a favourabie opportunity of ascer- 
taining if there were any chemical difference between the 
mesotype of the French crystallographer, and zeolite or the 
natrolith of Klaproth, as he had previously discovered the 
existence of soda in al] the specimens of zeolite which are 
found in these kingdoms, as well as those in Germany, 
M, Vauquelin analysed several specimens of zeolite with- 
out discovering any traces of soda; but Mr. Smithson. dis- 
covered alkali even in the mesotype sent him by M. Haiiy, 
and in every other specimen of zeolite in his possession, 
From this circumstance he 1s inclined to prefer the original 
name of zeolite, as given to this mineral by its discoverer 
Cronsted, in preference to that of mesotype given it by 
Haiiy; and considers the distinction between mesotype and 
natrolith as unsupported by chemical analysis. 
Feb. 14. A long paper on the effects of vegetable poisons 
on animals by Mr, Brodie was read. ‘The author has pur- 
sued his researches for a considerable time, and detailed to 
the society the result of his experiments on rabbits, cats, 
and dogs, with alcohol, oil of bitter almonds, extract of aco- 
nite, tobacco, &c. These vegetable substances thrown into 
the stomachs of dogs, cats, rabbits, &c. instantly killed , 
them. by acting on the nervous system, and producing a 
compression of the brain: thrown into the rectum, the same _, 
effects were produced. The pulsation and heat of the heart, 
after administering these poisons, were maintained for a 
considerable time by means of artificial respiration, except 
with tobacco, which instantly destroyed the powers of the 
. heart, 
. 
