[ 140 j, 
XXXII. Observations on Sir EverarD Homn’s Paper on the 
black Rete mucosum of the Negro*. 
Sir EverarD Home, it appears, has delivered a lecture to the 
Royal Society, in which he endeavours to prove, by experiment, 
that the rete mucosuwm of Negroes is a provision of nature against 
the scorching effects of the sun’s rays. This, I presume, is the 
Croonian Lecture, which is a lecture delivered annually to the 
Royal Society, in pursuance of the will of a Dr. Croone, who 
left a sum of money to that Society, upon condition that a yearly 
lecture should be delivered upon muscular motion. Of late years, 
when that subject began to be exhausted, the lecturer has very 
properly been allowed to choose any anatomical subject. The 
task has almost always fallen upon Sir Everard Home, one of the 
few remaining stars of the English Royal Society. As it is well 
known that he delivers these lectures chiefly to keep up the ere- 
dit of the Soeiety, it would be hardly fair to criticise them with 
much severity. ; 
Nevertheless, his ideas are so obviously wrong, and his experi- 
ments so completely inadequate, that they disgrace the Transac- 
tions of the Royal Society, and will be greatly ridiculed at Paris, 
and indeed everywhere by enlightened men. Professor Roux 
came over to London to vist the English schools; and when he 
returned home, he ridiculed certain things, in his public lectures, 
most unmercifully. But he never had so fair a theme as this. 
First: As a provision against the rays of the sun, black is the 
very worst colour that could possibly be chosen. —What should 
we think of the man, who, to defend his bare poll against the 
scorching rays of the sun, put ona black hat instead of a white 
one ?—Unless nature were an idiot, she certainly would have pre- 
ferred white.—Sir Everard proves his point in the most absurd pos- 
sible manner. He interposes a piece of black crape between the 
skin and the concentred rays of the sun; and then, because 
the ardour of the rays is blunted, he maintains that the rele 
mucosum of Negroes is for this purpose! The texture of the crape 
is the true defence, and | will never believe but that white crape 
would answer much better. 
Secondly: Why should nature be so partial to black men ? The 
ancient Egyptians, the ancient Hindoos, and Charibbs, all lived 
within the tropics ; the former were white, unless in those parts 
exposed tothe sun ; the latter were red. At this day the Coquin 
Chinese are yellow} and vet they reside in a very hot climate. It 
is true, the banks of the Senegal and Gambia are hotter still: but 
* From the Newcastle Magazine. 
there 
*e ee 4. ee ee 
