150 Royal Society-. 



and houses of this metropolis, as well as the smaller apfiarafuS 

 used by manufacturers and private individuals, and other objects 

 coiuiected with this new art of procuring artificial light. 



XXVII. Proceedings of Learned Societies, 



ROYAL SOCIETY. 



Feb. 2. J. HE right hon. President in the chair. The con- 

 chision of Mr. Cooke's paper on Nautical Charts was read. 

 The paper was divided into three partsj accompanied with dia- 

 grains and mathematical demonstrations : tlie author dwelt par- 

 ticularly on a mode of making graduated circles or chartsj so 

 that angles might be taken on the charts simply by nieans of a, 

 common rule, and also sextant observations at any place. It 

 does not appear that the author is acquainted with the graduated 

 circle in use among the French mariners, but which is not much 

 esteemed by the English. 



Part of a long elaborate and curious paper by Dr; Wilson 

 Phillip of Gloucester was read, detailing a series of experiments 

 rnade to ascertain the relative iniiuence of the nervous system 

 bn the functions of the heart. The ultimate object of these in- 

 quiries was to determine the effects of poisons, and their manneir 

 of destroying animal life : the present experiments were only 

 preliminary. 



Feb. 9. Dr. Phillip related the result of twenty-four fexperi- 

 rhcnts made on warm and cold-blooded animals by various modes 

 of removing or destroying the brain, or cutting off the commu- 

 nication bfetween it and the heart or spinal marrow. The teh 

 first experiments v,ere on rabbits, and the remainder on frogs. 

 He found, contrary to the statement of M. Le Gallois, that the 

 circulation of the heart was not arrested by blows on the occiput 

 so as to crush the brain without greatly injuring the spinal 

 marrow; that the heart retained its irritability for twelve hours 

 after the nerves of the head had been completely detached from 

 it ; and that the spinal marrow has some influence bn the heart; 

 The author next tried the effects of opium and other stimuli on 

 the spinal marrow, &c. of a frog, and found that the muscles of 

 the heart of frogs could be stimulated till irritability was com- 

 pletely exhausted. He concludes, that there are three distinct 

 powers in the animal body ; the sensorial, which exists in the 

 cerebrum ; the nervous properly so called, which belongs to the 

 ispinal marrow ; and the muscular power, which exists in the 

 muscles ; and that these powers exercise a mutual influence on 

 jeuch other;, With M. Le Gallois, he thinks that the spinal 



rnarroAf 



