.154 Royal Med. Soc. Edin. — Kinvanidn Society, Dullin. 



The lecture concluded with some observations upon the ano- 

 malous expansion of water under the 42d degree of Fahrenheit's 

 scale, and its importance in retarding congelation. 



" Chemistry," said Mr. Brande, " was tardy in its progress, 

 until the period at which he had now arrived in its history; in 

 the dross of the alchemical furnaces many scattered treasures 

 were discovered, of which the value was greatly enhanced by ar- 

 rangement and systematic combination : the science thus ac- 

 quired a prosperous aspect — it was applied to the arts, and to 

 them it gave an unexpected and vigorous impulse ; it was di^ 

 nscted to the investigation of nature, and there it displayed new 

 beauties — it found 



' Tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, 

 Sermons in stones, and good in every thing.' " 



BOYAL MEDICAL SOCIETY, EDINBURGH. 



This Society having agreed to appoint a Committee for the pur- 

 pose of receiving the conniiunications of members, and of others 

 through their medium, who may favour the Society with in- 

 teresting facts and experiments in medicine, or with unusual ap- 

 pearances in morbid dissection, beg leave earnestly to invite the 

 members to transmit such communications to the Society as soon 

 as possible. 



The Committee, consisting of six extraordinary members re- 

 sident in Edinburgh, together with the four Presidents, ex officio^ 

 will proceed immediately to consider such papers as may be 

 transmitted to them with an ultimate view to publication. 



KIRWANIAN SOCIETY OF DUBLIN. 



Dec. 28. The reading of a paper was commencedj, contain- 

 ing " A new Theory of Galvanism, with its Application to cer- 

 tain chemical Phaenomena," by M. Donovan, Esq. Secretary. 



The paper commenced with a review of the explanations of 

 metallic arborizations offered by Bergman, Lavoisier, Vauquelin, 

 BerthoUet, Sylvester, and Grotthiuss. The theory of the two 

 first-mentioned philosophers had been shown to be insufficient 

 by BerthoUet 5 and the view suggested by this last was conceived 

 to apply well to some of the phaenomena, but with much less 

 effect to others which were adduced. The theories of Sylvester 

 and Grotthiuss were stated to be the same in result : both sup- 

 pose the commencement of the arborization to be chemical, and 

 its progress electri.al. It was observed, that the theory of the 

 commencement lies under the objections which apply to'Ber- 

 lhollet*s view j and that both stages of the process should be 



referable 



