453 Royal Society. 



to the aniaMd) while the other held the scalpel which was hrougfit- 

 in contact with the electric organs^ Theorgans, it appears, pro- 

 ceed fronv the medulla oblongata. 



Mr. H^tchett communicated a prdces;? for sweetening musty 

 corn, in a letter to Sir Joseph Banks. Several years ago thia 

 philosopher was engaged in researches into the quality and pro- 

 ducts of wheat and barley, in consequence of which he discovered 

 that musty grain, which was so bitter as to be totally unfit for 

 nse, and which could scarcely be ground, might be rendered per- 

 fectly sweet and sound by simply immershig it in boiling watef 

 and letting it remain till the water became cold. The quantity 

 of water in this case was always double that of the corn to be pu- 

 rified. Mr. H. found that the musty quality rarely penetrated 

 through the husk of the wheat, and that in the very worst cases 

 it did not extend through the amylaceous matter which lies im- 

 mediately under the skin. In the hot water all the decayed or^ 

 rotten grain swims on the surface, so that the remaining wheat is 

 eflfectuallv cleaned frotn all impurities, and this too Avithout anV 

 material loss. The wheat is afterwards to be dried, stirring it oc- 

 casionally on the kiln, when it will be found improved to an ex- 

 tent which can scarcely be believed without actual experience. 

 The immense quantities of musty corn now in merchants' ware- 

 houses or granaries belonging to farmers, render these experi- 

 ments highly valuable at the present crisis ; and it is not doubted 

 that, whatever may be the cavils of ignorance and inhumanity, 

 the good sense of all those interested will lead them to adopt so 

 easy, cheap, and effectual means of rendering their wheat or othee 

 grain from 10^. to 40^. a quarter more valuable. 



Dec. 12. — The President, happily, was again able to resume 

 his chair, and Mr. Brande read a paper containing the results of 

 his experiments on a species of Chinese galls, which were given 

 to Inui by Sir .loseph Banks to analyse. It appears that these 

 galls are very valuaWe for dyeing, or making ink, and that tlievMii- 

 uese use them for their black dyes; they yielded 75 per cent, of 

 the astringent principle, containing oxalic and gallic acid, but no' 

 extractive matter. The residuum was chiefiy woody fibre. As 

 these galls contain no extractive matter, they are consequently 

 unfit for tanning, and in this respect they differ from all other 

 galls, or even from catechu. 



Dec. 19. — The President in the Chair. M. Du Pin, through 

 the hands of Dr. Young, communicated some remarks on naval 

 architecture, and particularly on the improvements adopted by Mr. 

 Seppings. This author began by numerous professions ofgratitude 

 for the civilities which he received during his visit to this country, 

 and cxjirestied a wish that the paper then read should be consi- 

 dered as a testimony of that feeling. But science has neither 



passions 



