1865.] On the Passage of Substances into the Animal Tissues. 63 



There are a few cases in which Venus and Jupiter are opposed to one 

 another; the authors do not, however, suppose that these instances are 

 sufficient to prove the fact of an action due to Jupiter, but think it right, in 

 alluding to them, to state at the same time the opposed position of the two 

 planets, since this may furnish a possible explanation of the uncertain 

 behaviour of spots by which these series are characterized. 



The results of this paper may be stated briefly as follows : 



Observed fact. Spots appearing about the same time on the sun's disk 

 behave in the same manner as they pass from left to right. 



Legitimate deduction. The behaviour of spots is influenced by some- 

 thing from without, and from the nature of the spot-behaviour the authors 

 conclude that this influence travels faster than the earth ; and finally, they 

 find that the behaviour of spots appears to be determined by the position 

 of Venus in such a manner that a^spot wanes as it approaches this planet 

 by rotation, and, on the other hand, breaks out and increases as it recedes 

 from the neighbourhood of the planet, reaching its maximum on the oppo- 

 site side. 



In conclusion, it is not meant in this paper to convey the idea that Venus 

 is the cause of the ten-yearly period of sun-spots, but merely that there is 

 a varying behaviour of spots which appears to have reference to the posi- 

 tion of this planet, or, putting aside the influencing agent, appears to have 

 reference to certain ecliptical longitudes. 



III. " On the Rapidity of the Passage of Crystalloid Substances into 

 the Vascular and Non-Vascular Textures of the Body." By 

 HENRY BENCE JONES, F.R.S. In a Letter to the Secretary. 

 Received February 2, 1865. 



DEAR DR. SHARPEY, I am anxious that you should read to the Royal 

 Society a short note containing the results of some observations I lately 

 made on the rapidity of the passage of crystalloid substances into the 

 vascular and non-vascular textures of the body. 



It occurred to me that it might be possible to trace the passage of sub- 

 stances from the blood into the textures of the body by means of the 

 spectrum-analysis, and with the assistance of Dr. Dupre some very remark- 

 able results have been obtained. 



Guinea-pigs have chiefly been used for the experiments. Usually no 

 lithium can be found in any part of their bodies. When half a grain of 

 chloride of lithium was given to a guinea-pig for three successive days, 

 lithium appeared in every tissue of the body. Even in the non-vascular 

 textures, as the cartilages, the cornea, the crystalline lens, lithium would 

 be found. 



Two animals of the same size and age were taken ; one was given 3 grains 

 of chloride of lithium, and it was killed in eight hours ; another had no 



