74 Scientific Notices — Miscellaneous' [Jan. 



9. Mode of securing Anatomical Preparations. 



Dr. Macartney, of the University of Dublin, has employed a 

 thin plate of India rubber, as a covering for preparation jaws in 

 place of the former laborious and offensive one by means of 

 putrid bladder, sheet-lead, &c. 



It is essential that the India rubber should be painted or var- 

 nished, after which not the slightest evaporation of the spirits 

 can take place. The material by its elasticity adapts itself to the 

 variations in the volume of the contents of the jaw from different 

 temperatures, and thus removes the principal cause of the evapo- 

 ration of the spirits. 



It is probable that leather coated with Indian rubber and 

 painted would answer as well as the rubber itself, by which the 

 expence would be greatly diminished. 



10. Medical Matriculation at Edinburgh. 



From the following statement of the number of medical 

 matriculations which have taken place at the University of 

 Edinburgh during the last five years, it will be seen that the 

 afflux of students to this school still continued to increase. 



In 1820 to 1821 754 



1821 to 1822 817 



1822 to 1823 867 



1823 to 1824 870 



1824 to 1825 905 to April. 



A considerable number are stated to have been in attendance 

 on the medical classes when this return was made up who had 

 not then matriculated, many of whom were, however, expected 

 to do so in the course of the summer sessions. 



11. Proportion of Male and Female Children. 



M. Bailly, of the French Institute, has lately made a series of 

 observations connected with the subject of the relative births of 

 male and female children. From exact registers kept in one 

 locality, it appears, he says, that there were more female concep- 

 tions than male conceptions in the months of March and July ; 

 and these two months, he observes, are, the first on account of 

 the occurrence of heat ; and the second, on account of the heat 

 of the weather, the part of year least favourable to the activity of 

 the generative powers, at least with a view to fecundations. 



12. Pouilht on Atmospheric Electricitt/. 



Various theories have been formed by meteorologists to 

 account for the electricity sensibly present in the atmosphere. 

 Of these, Volta's was perhaps the only plausible one. That 

 philosopher was induced to believe, that bodies in passing 



