208 Notices respecting New Books.—Royal Society. 
In crossing the sea, perhaps, a small weight might be allowed 
to drag through the water, which would effectually answer the 
purpose of steering the balloon obliquely across the wind, by Sir 
George Cayley’s sail-rudder. 
I have the honour to be, sir, 
Your most obedient servant and wellwisher, 
London, March 17, 1816. Te He 
aS 
XLVI. Notices respecting New Books. 
Ma. Donovan has in the press An Essay on the Origin, Pro- 
gress, and present State of Galvanism, with a Statement of a 
new Theory. It is divided into three parts. The first contains 
a sketch of the history of Galvanism divided into four periods. 
The second contains investigations speculative and experimental 
of the principal hypotheses 5 viz. of those of Volta, Fabroni, and 
of the British philosophers : of the hypothesis of electro-che- 
mical affinity as maintained by Davy and Berzelius; and of the 
identity of the agent in Galvanic and electric phenomena. The 
third part comprises a statement of a new theory of Galvanism, 
and is divided into two chapters. ‘The first includes the general 
principles of what has been called the excitement of Galvanism. 
The second chapter is devoted to the application of these prin- 
ciples in explaining Galvanic phenomena, and is subdivided into 
five sections. The first section treats of Galvanic decompositions 
in general. The second presents a new theory of metallic arbori- 
zations. The third explains the source of the light and heat 
manifested in certain experiments. The fourth explains the 
source of the electrical appearances: and the fifth shows the 
cause of the muscular contractions and shock. 
In’this theory the agency of an electric or Galvanic fluid is 
not admitted; the phenomena are conceived to be explicable 
by the mere operation of chemical affinity. 
Dr. C. H. Parry, of Bath, has just published An Inquiry into 
the Nature, Cause, and Varieties of the Arterial Pulse; and © 
Dr. G. E. Male, of Birmingham, has given to the world An Epi- 
tome of Juridical and Forensic Medicine. 
XLVIII. Proceedings of Learned Societies. 
ROYAL SOCIETY. 
Feb. 29. A. paper on Capillary Attraction, by J. Ivory, Esq. 
F.R.S., was read. This able mathematician observed that, not- 
withstanding 
