1846.] Hu7nan Fossils. 311 



starch are still intact, their substance being insoluble even in 

 water heated to -|- 50° ; and although with greater ease divided 

 mechanically, they behave with iodine, sulphuric acid, &c., as 

 normal starch. 



M. Philipper has also directed his attention to this subject; and 

 attributes the cause of the malady to the state of the atmosphere 

 only, daring the summer of 1845. He has remarked, that the 

 infected tubercles kept badly; that those partially attacked quick- 

 ly become wholly so, and communicate the evil to the sound ones; 

 and that the change is more rapid if the potatoes are housed 

 moist, and kept in a close place. Hence the precautions neces- 

 sary are, to dig early, to dry well, separate the bad from the good, 

 house in any airy place, and reduce quickly into starch. 



HUMAN FOSSILS. 



BY G. C. MONELL, NEWBURGH. 



[Translated from the French and Foreign Medical Review el Clinical Journal 

 of Hotel Dieu and La Chante, of Paris. 1824. Vol. 3, p. 451, 452.] 



Mr. Fourier presented, in the name of Messrs. Julia, Fontenelle, 

 Payen and Chevallier, a paper concerning the human fossils of 

 Fontainbleau. 



Do human fossils exist except in the imagination of certain 

 geologists ? The negative has been, and still is sustained by 

 many learned naturalists, who have classed among hypotheses the 

 most absurd, this man-witness of the deluge of Schenchzer; fossil 

 human bones taken from the rocks at Aix, of which there is men- 

 tion made by Florer of Hapellius; the petrifactions in the calca- 

 reous strata of ffihrringen: the petrified men found in the mines 

 of Brugelettes, in Hainault Beige; since found to contain the fos- 

 sils of many saurians, etc. The question seemed definitely settled 

 until toward the end of April, 1824, we announced the discovery 

 of a human fossil and a petrified horse, found in the large rock at 

 Moret, near Fontainbleau. A short time after Mr. Barruel, who 

 made an analysis of it, is said to have found animal matter and 

 phosphate of lime. This authorized the conclusion that it was 

 truly an anthiopolite. Notwithstanding Messrs. Cuvicr, Geoffrey 

 Saint Hilaire, and many other learned men, persisted in regarding 

 this asserted human fossil, as one of those uncertain imitations of 

 organic bodies, Avhich are sometimes found in nature. Witness- 

 ing the discussions which confused this subject, Julia, Fontenelle, 

 Payen and Chevallier, joined together to make an analysis of the 

 fossil of Fontainbleau; the result of their labors, which they com- 



