Proceedings of the British Association. 347 
tation. He was led to undertake these experiments from having re- 
ceived a communication from Mr. Davies Gilbert, in which he sta- 
ted that there was a district in Cornwall where the soil contained a 
large proportion of arsenic ; and that no plants could grow in it except 
some of the Leguminose. By analysis, this soil yielded him about 
fifty per cent. of arsenic, in the form of a sulphuret ; the rest being 
composed principally of salphuret of iron and a little silica. He had 
already ascertained that a little of the sulphuret mixed in soils pro- 
duced no injurious effect on Sinapis alba, barley, or beans; and 
that they flowered and seeded freely when grown in it. Although 
the want of solubility in the sulphuret might be assigned as a reason 
for its inactivity ; yet it was certainly taken up by water.in small 
quantities, and imbibed by the roots of plants. Upon watering them 
with a solution of arsenious acid, he found that they would bear it in 
larger proportions than was presupposed. The injurious effects of 
arsenious acid on vegetation in the neighborhood of the copper- 
works of Bristol and Swansea, was noticed by Mr. Rootsey ; and 
Mr. Stevens mentioned the circumstance of the trout in some streams 
of Cornwall having been destroyed by the opening of some new 
mines in their neighborhood, from which arsenical compounds were 
discharged, though the vegetation did not appear to be injured by 
them ; and it was further stated, that horses were considerably in- 
jured, and rendered subject to a remarkable disease, by the effects 
of arsenical compounds in the same districts. 
Section E.—Anatomy anp Menicine. 
President—Dr. Roget. 
Vice Presidents—Dr. Bright, Dr. Macartney. 
Secretaries—Dr. Symonds, G. D. Fripp, Esq. 
Dr. O’Beirne read a Report of the Dublin Committee on the pa- 
thology of the nervous system. 
A short description of a case of aneurism of the arteria innomina- 
ta, furnished by Sir D. H. Dickson, was then read. 
Section F.—Srarisrics. 
President—Sir Charles Lemon, Bart. 
Vice Presidents—H. Hallam, Esq., Dr. Jerrard. 
Secretaries—Rev. J. E. Bromby, C. B. Fripp, Esq., James 
Heywood, Esq. 
A very curious and interesting report was read, entitled, “A few 
Statistical facts, descriptive of the former and present state of Glas- 
gow,” by James Cleland, LL. D. 
