328 Proiredbigf of Philosophical Societiei. [March. 



ciple ; but liydrogen forms at least as many acids as oxygen, and it 

 forms several into which oxygen does not enter at all. All cases of 

 comljustion were ascribed to the presence and agency of oxygen; 

 but we now know that it takes place whenever bodies combine with 

 energy ; and fluorine, chlorine, and iodine, are entitled to the 

 name of supporters, as well as oxygen. He suggests tlie possibilitj 

 that the diamond may be a comjK)und of charcoal and some very 

 light unknown supporter. 



At the same meeting a paper by Anthony Carlisle, Esq. On 

 Moiistrosity in the Human Species, was read. The author detailed 

 a number of examples of monstrosity, hereditary in particular 

 families, and propagated from one generation to another. All 

 monstrosity he conceives to take place only in cases where the arti- 

 ficial civilization of mankind has interfered. Thus varieties of dogs, 

 pidgeons, &c. are easily propagated. 



On Thursday, the 10th of February, a paper by A. B. Brodie, 

 Esq. on the influence of the nerves on the secretions of the stomach 

 was read. Tlie experiments consisted in cutting the gastric nerves 

 of dogs, and giving them doses of arsenic sufficient to produce 

 death in a few hours. 'J'his poison in common cases occasions a 

 great secretion of mucus in the stomach and intestines. But in 

 these experiments nothing was found in the stomach after death. 

 Hence the nonsecretion of mucus seems owing to the section of the 

 nerves. 



At the same meeting a paper was read by Charles Koenig, Esq. 

 on the human skeleton from Guadaloupe, lately deposited in the 

 British Museum. Mr. Koenig introduced his paper by a historical 

 sketch of all the facts that had been ascertained respecting fossil 

 bones. Kamper, Blumenbach, and, above all, Cuvier, are the 

 naturalists that have most distinguished themselves in these re- 

 searches ; but hitherto no human fossil bones had been discovered. 

 Hence it was concluded, either that man was of subsequent creation 

 to those animals, the fossil bones of which have been found, or that 

 if human fossil bones exist they are covered by the existing ocean, 

 and thus for ever concealed from our sight. The fossil human bones 

 found at Guadaloujie appear to constitute an exception to this gene- 

 ral rule. They wore discovered by the French governor of Guada- 

 loupe ; and the specimen at presen-t in the British Museum was dug 

 up by him at considerable expense, and was intended for the 

 museum at Paris. The capture of the island by Great Britain 

 enabled Sir Alexander Cochrane to send it to the Britisli Museum. 



It was found near the sea shore in a calcareous rock of the hardest 

 #cxture, being considerably superior in that respect to statuary 

 marble. 'J'he rock is partly granular, and partly compact. The 

 granular part is a mixture of grey and flesh-red particles. The red 

 particles Mr. Ko-nig considers as the miilepora miliacea in frag- 

 ments; it contains also a few shells. In short, it seems to consist 

 chiefly of a congeries of fragments of corralines connected together 

 firmly without any apparent cement. 



