— 340 — 



peral fevpr, and in a complete adynamic state three 

 days after the softening of the tumour. 



Thp di>^eased organ, extracted from the hody \ipon 

 dissection was offered to the Society to be placed in its 

 Bluseiim. 



Drs. Regnaud and Beaugeard named by the Presi- 

 dent to report upon Dr. Fressangf-'s pap r, acquitted 

 themselves of their task with much intellig'-ncc After 

 praising the puper, Dr Reguaud inquires why the me- 

 dical body who could so easily gain access to the So- 

 ciety, have somewhat kept themselves aloof from it. 

 Dr Fressanges, says he, is the first who h;ts presented 

 it with the fruits of his practice. Let us hope that 

 his fxample will not be lost. 



The Honorable i\Ir Fropier remaiked on this sub- 

 ject, that a Medical Society existed in the island, and 

 that it Avas to that circumstance, Avithout doubt, that 

 Ave should attribute the non-participation of medical 

 men in the labours of our Society, but that noAv, that 

 the cause is removed, since the Medical Society, 

 has ceased to exist, Ave may hope that the example set 

 by Dr Fressanges will be folloAved by other members of 

 his fraternity. 



The hope thus expressed has been fortunately rea- 

 lised. 



Dr Ayres read a paper on the mode of action of char- 

 coal as H disinfectant agent. This question has, hoAV- 

 ever, been the subject of a great many serious resear- 

 ches, both by members of the Society and by intelligent 

 persons Avho are in communication Avith it. 



Dr Ayres began by shcAving the nature and proper- 

 ties of putrifying substances and night soil. The fetid 

 emanations Avhich escape therefrom^ are, in his opinion 

 " due to a volatil animal matter in a state of change, 

 *' and, to this volatil organic matter, the raaleficient 

 " effects of the emanations from night soil must, in 

 " chief part, be referred." 



He next proceeds to explain the nature of certain 

 porous substances, and the property Avhich they possess 

 of condensing gases within their pores. He explains 

 this property in the platinum Avhich is first in rank, 

 next comes charcoal which, in the opinion of the Doc- 



