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Observations on the Gastric Glands of the human Stomach, and the 

 Contraction which takes place in that Viscus. By Sir Everard Home, 

 Bart. V.P.R.S. Read June 26, 1817. [PAzV. Trans. 1817, p. 347.] 



This paper contains an account of the internal membrane of the 

 human stomach, in reference to magnified views of the different 

 structures composing its surface, executed by Mr. Bauer. 



The cesophageal glands have the appearance of infundibular cells. 

 The structure upon the upper arch of the stomach is made up of cells, 

 of the form of a honeycomb ; and this structure extends, though less 

 visibly, over the whole surface of the cardiac portion. In the pyloric 

 portion the cells have the same appearance ; but there are small clus- 

 ters, the sides of which rise above the surface, giving the appearance 

 of foliated membranes. 



Having formerly shown that the gastric glands are largest and 

 most numerous in the animals that inhabit the least fertile regions 

 of the earth, and vice versd, the author remarks the greater neces- 

 sity for the same arrangements in man, whose gastric glands are so 

 small as to require microscopic aid to prove that they appertain to 

 the same series of structures as those of the ostrich, which may be 

 minutely examined by the unaided eye. 



Sir Everard alludes to his former discovery of the occasional di- 

 vision of the stomach into two portions by a muscular contraction, 

 which he is now able further to elucidate by a case in which this 

 contraction had become permanent, and which probably caused the 

 death of the woman in whom it occurred. The importance of this 

 fact in studying the physiology of the stomach, is the only apology, 

 says the author, which I shall make for having pressed it so much on 

 the attention of the Society : its use in the pathology of that viscus, 

 though perhaps of still more importance to the cause of suffering 

 humanity, this is not the proper place to consider. 



A drawing of the contracted stomach also is annexed to this paper. 



On the Parallax of the fixed Stars. By John Pond, Esq. Astronomer 

 Royal. Read June 26, 1817. [Phil. Trans. 1817, p. 353.] 



The object of this paper is to communicate a series of observations 

 made with a new instrument for the purpose of investigating the 

 question of parallax. Though a much longer period of time will be 

 necessary to elucidate this subject in a perfectly satisfactory manner, 

 yet, from the observations already made, it seems highly probable that 

 the parallax of a Cygni is too small a quantity to have had any share in 

 producing either the discordances remarked by Dr. Brinkley, or those 

 in the Greenwich observations already communicated to the Society. 



The method consists in continually observing the meridional dif- 

 ference in polar distance of a Cygni and @ Aurigae, (which pass 

 through the field of the same telescope,) by means of a micrometer 

 adapted to this purpose. 



A drawing of the instrument accompanies the observations. 



