1 20 Annals of the Philosophical Club 



At the 48th meeting (May 27th) Dr. Marcet communicated 

 some recent researches by Dr. Bernard, which showed that 

 section of a sympathetic nerve increased animal heat 

 on the corresponding side. On that also where the nerve 

 was divided, the heat was more or less persistent, and was 

 less affected by alterations of external temperature. Thus, 

 if the general temperature was raised, that of the side, where 

 the nerve was whole, was raised more than on the side where 

 it was divided, and if the general temperature was lowered, 

 the lowering was greater in the former case than in the 

 latter to a larger extent than had happened in the first 

 instance. This effect, as yet, had not been explained. 



He also mentioned some curious instances, observed at 

 New Orleans, of increase of temperature in the human body 

 after death. These appeared to proceed, in some cases, 

 from a lingering vitality in the organism after apparent 

 death, in others to the contrary the death and putrefaction 

 of portions of the organism, prior to that of the individual. 



He further stated that at Geneva, during this spring, 

 N.E. winds had lasted consecutively for 90 days. 



Dr. Du Bois-Reymond's electrophysical experiment (2ist 

 meeting) was again mentioned. A discussion took place, 

 but without any confident expression of opinion, on the 

 question, whether the deflection of the galvanometer, on 

 contracting the muscles of one arm, arose from the proper 

 muscular action or from increased secretion in the incurved 

 finger or other secondary actions. 



Colonel Sykes at the 4gth meeting (June 24th) referred 

 to the importance of using balloons for meteorological 

 observations, now that the management of them was in 

 proper hands and better understood. Mr. Green, 1 he 

 added, who was about to give up making ascents for the 

 amusement of the public, was willing to aid in the advance- 

 ment of science. Lord Wrottesley said that the Council 



1 Charles Green (1785-1870) made 528 ascents between 1821 and 1852, 

 when he ceased to be a professional aeronaut. In the former years he 

 made the first ascent with carburetted hydrogen gas, and in 1836 travelled 

 through the air from Vauxhall to Weilburg in Nassau. 



