Siain Mission. — Earthquulccs. 397 



ant according to the state of the urine,) found that uric acid is 

 very easily dissolved by solution of borax. If the solution is 

 concentrated, it speedily becomes turbid, and deposits urate of 

 sofIa, upon which it will dissolve a new quantity of uric acid. 



Mr. W. proposes borax for trial as a remedy against gravel 

 and stone, at least as a salutary alterative in tedious cases. 



Uric acid may thus be abstracted in a simple and easy way 

 from the excrements of birds &:c. by boiling them with water, 

 to which a small proportion of borax is added. The hot filtered 

 liquor, when saturated with sulphuric acid, precipitates the 

 uric acid in a pretty pure state. — Wctzlm- Beitr. zur Kentn. dcf 

 menscJil. Hams, <§c. 



SIAM MISSION. 



Accounts of the Siam Mission under Mr. Crawford, dated 

 Siam, 10th of June 1822, have been received by the way of 

 Penang. 



" The scientific department of the Mission, we learn, has 

 been conducted with tlie utmost assiduity and zeal. There is 

 no finer field in the world, perhaps, for the botanist than the 

 peninsula of Malacca, and the neighbouring islands, where 

 the luxuriance of vegetation is said to be truly astonishing. 

 Notwithstanding various difficulties experienced by this ex- 

 j)edition, many rare and new plants have been collected ; the 

 zoological collection was daily on the increase, and included 

 different species oi mammalia, of birds,a few curious fishes, and 

 a few of the amphibia. Two of the quadrupeds appear unde- 

 scribed; a tolerably good specimen of that singular animal 

 the Trichecus Dugong had been preserved, and particular 

 attention had been paid to its internal structure, of which we 

 may expect a full and accurate description. We have not 

 heard whether anj' valuable mineralogical specimens were pro- 

 cured, but anticipate no great addition to this division of the 

 scientific department, fi-om the peculiar circumstances under 

 which the movements of the Mission were made." — Cave Town 

 Gazette, Feb. 2. 



EARTHQUAKES. 



Letters from Palermo, of the 3d of April, mention, that on 

 the 27th of March there was a severe shock of an carthcjuake 

 on the island of Favignano, at a small distance from Trajiaui. 

 A part of the ancient fortress fell, and 22 persons })erished 

 under the ruins. On the 3 1st there was another shock in 

 Messina, which, however, did no damage. It may easily be 

 imagined what anxiety must be felt throughout all Sicily, 

 in consequence of the shocks at the two remote Capes of Ly- 

 llheum and Pelorus. 



