of voltaic electricity be transmitted through the lungs by those por- 

 tions of the nerves which remain attached to them, no affection of 

 the breathing supervenes, and the lungs after death are found quite 

 healthy, unless the electricity has been apph'ed of such power, or for 

 so long a time, as to cause inflammation ; in which case, the appear- 

 ances on dissection are those of inflammation, and not those produced 

 by mere division of the nerves. 



On the Effects produced upon the Air Cells of the Lungs when the 

 Pulmonary Circulation is too much increased. By Sir Everard Home, 

 Bart. V.P.R.S. Read May 31, 1827. [Phil. Trans. 1827, p. 301 .] 



In examining the air cells of the lungs of a hare that had been 

 coursed, the author found the superficial large cells filled with colour- 

 less coagulable lymph, forming white specks, and the smaller, more 

 interior ones filled with coagula of red blood. No such appearance 

 was seen in the lungs of hares, snared or shot. A run of fifteen 

 minutes with greyhounds so exhausts the hare, that it is frequently 

 known to die from over exertion before the dogs are able to reach 

 it. To examine the state of the lungs, in which the white specks 

 were seen, they were injected with mercury through the bronchiae, 

 and then immersed in rectified spirits to prevent them from collap- 

 sing, and in this state examined microscopically and drawn by Mr. 

 Bauer. The drawings accompany the paper. 



The white specks appear to be portions of coagulable lymph, sepa- 

 rated from the circulating blood in consequence of its disturbed state, 

 and the author considers them as giving great insight into the nature 

 of that destructive disease called tubercles in the lungs ; and in sup- 

 port of this idea quotes Dr. Baillie's description, and refers to his 

 plates of them in his Morbid Anatomy. 



Theory of the Diurnal Variation of the Magnetic Needle, illustrated 

 by Experiments. By S. H. Christie, Esq. M.A. F.R. Read 

 June 14 and June 21, 1827. [Phil. Trans. 1827, p. 308.] 



Mr. Christie having been led to doubt the validity of the expla- 

 nation of the moving easterly variation adopted by Canton, but at 

 the same time having observed that the changes in deviation and in- 

 tensity appear always to have reference to the position of the sun 

 with regard to the magnetic meridian, was led to connect these 

 phenomena with Professor Seebeck's discover}* of thermo-magnetism, 

 and Professor Cumming's subsequent experiments ; and to refer the 

 phenomena of diurnal variation to the effect of partial heating, modi- 

 fied, perhaps, by that of rotation, and by peculiar influence in the 

 sun's rays. 



In support of this opinion, he cites passages from papers by Pro- 

 fessor Gumming and Dr. Traill, whom a similar idea appears also to 

 have impressed. But in place of looking to the stony strata, of which 

 the earth's surface consists, as the elements of the thermo-magnetic 



VOL. II. Y 



