Royal Institution of Great Britain. 467 



with sheds and inclosures for some of the rarer animals belonging 

 to the Society, are in active progress. It is expected that the gar- 

 dens will possess sufficient interest to authorize the opening of 

 them during the ensuing autumn. The President then announced 

 that the number of subscribers exceeds 500, and that the list is 

 daily increasing. He also gave a highly favourable report of the 

 funds of the Society ; which after defraying all charges attending 

 upon the various works in progress, leave a considerable and in- 

 creasing balance in the bankers' hands. 



ROYAL INSTITUTION OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



April 27. — Dr. Granville gave an account of his investigations 

 of the processes followed by the Egyptians in the embalming of 

 their mummies. After fecapitulating what he had done in the ex- 

 amination of a very fine mummy, an account of which is already 

 before the public, and referring also to other modes in which human 

 bodies had been preserved, he proceeded to show how far his own 

 exertions in preparing mummies, according to that which he con- 

 sidered as the Egyptian method, had been attended with success ; 

 and he produced numerous well preserved specimens prepared by 

 immersion in tanning liquors, in saline solutions, &c. An extraor- 

 dinary and abundant collection of mummies and preserved speci- 

 mens was upon the table. 



In the Library was a piece of a ship's bottom pierced by a sword- 

 fish, presented by General Hardwicke ; a poisoned arrow from Ce- 

 lebes ; specimens of the Mantis, and numerous literary curiosities. 



May !•. — Mr. Faraday gave an account of the chemical action of 

 chlorine and its compounds when used as disinfectants. This was 

 a continuation of the subject of February 2, by Mr. Alcock. The 

 chemical action of chlorine upon infectious or fetid vapours appears 

 to vary according to circumstances, sometimes apparently abstract- 

 ing hydrogen to form muriatic acid with it ; at others producing 

 triple compounds of chlorine, carbon, and hydrogen; and at others 

 again, probably decomposing water and causing the nascent oxy- 

 gen to act upon the fetid or injurious substance; — but in all cases 

 chemically altering its nature, and rendering it innocuous or very 

 nearly so. The compounds of chlorine with lime and with carbo- 

 nate of soda were considered as acting precisely in the same man- 

 ner as pure chlorine, but with moderated energy ; and the experi- 

 ments of Gaultier de Claubry quoted as decisive on this point. The 

 nature of the compound of chlorine with lime was considered as 

 well ascertained ; but that of the compound with carbonate of soda 

 stated as doubtful. It is evidently not a chloride of soda ; and when 

 made according to the proportions directed by M. Labarraque, not 

 a particle of carbonic acid is evolved. It was stated that in some 

 experiments made by Mr. Phillips, a portion of this compound be- 

 ing evaporated, crystallized in acicular forms, which if dissolved 

 still possessed disinfecting and bleaching powers, especially when 

 carbonic acid was passed through the solution ; but which, if ex- 

 posed to the air for a sufficient time, lost all bleaching power; and 

 l)iing then di>-solvcd, neutralized, and examined bv nitrate of silver, 

 :'. () 2 " srave 



