214 



in and ceases soon, and putrefaction appears and progresses quickly. 

 The two distinct series of facts I have adduced seem, therefore, to 

 bear out clearly the truth of the law I have endeavoured to establish 

 on the relation between the degree of muscular irritability and the 

 period of setting in arid the duration of cadaveric rigidity, and also 

 the time of appearance and the progress of putrefaction. 



The Society then adjourned to Thursday, May 30th. 



May 30, 1861. 

 Sir HENRY HOLLAND, Bart., V.P., in the Chair. 



The reading of Dr. EDWARD SMITH'S Paper "On the Eli- 

 mination of Urea and Urinary Water, in their relation to 

 the Period of the Day, Season, Exertion, Food, and other 

 influences acting on the Cycle of the Year," was resumed 

 and concluded. 



(Abstract.) 



This communication contains the result of two principal series of 

 inquiries which have been prosecuted by the author, viz. one upon 

 himself, extending from January 1860 to March 1861, and compre- 

 hending 336 days ; and the other upon four prisoners during the 

 month of March 1860. 



The former series included the amounts of urea, chloride of 

 sodium, and urinary water evolved daily throughout the seasons, 

 and their relation to period of the day, season, temperature, baro- 

 metric pressure, and also to the cycle of the week, excess of food, 

 and stomach derangement. The author also ascertained the effect of 

 fasting from solid food and of drinking water, tea, coffee, and alco- 

 hol, in the absence of breakfast and during a whole day's fast. The 

 net weight of the body night and morning was ascertained for many 

 weeks in the early part of 1861, and the amount of fluid and solid 

 food was recorded during many months of the year. During these 

 inquiries the author lived in a moderate and regular manner, but 

 without any prescribed dietary, and spent a part of August and 



