380 Intelligence and Miscellanies'. 



sively employed, some years since, in consequence of the re- 

 commendation of Dr. Chrestien of Montpelier. Contradict- 

 ory statements of its value have been since published by phy- 

 sicians in different parts of Europe and America. Magendic, 

 in the latter editions of his formulary is unfriendly to the uses 

 of gold, as a remedy in syphilis, but it does not appear 

 that he judges of it by his own experience. Dr. Le Grand, 

 of Amiens, in an octavo volume, published in 1 828, main- 

 tains the opinion that the employment of gold is the most 

 efficacious and least dangerous means of combating syphi- 

 lis. The volume contains a mass of near 400 observations, 

 all favorable to its eaiployment. 



Dr. Chrestien, has also addressed, within the past year, a 

 letter to Magendie, on the different modes of preparing and 

 administering gold, 8vo. 79 pp. 2 fr. 



"This pamphlet," says the reviewer, "written with the 

 dignity worthy of a practitioner, almost a septuagenarian, 

 written to a brother professor, placed in so elevated a sphere, 

 is of such a nature as to induce the honorable academician, 

 to modify the opinion which he may hereafter give of aurif- 

 erous preparations. We have no doubt that if he will make 

 trial of it, he will become one of its partisans and most zeal- 

 ous defenders." — Rev. Ency. J{ov. 1828. 



33. A Congress of Savans, assembled on the 18th of Sep- 

 tember, 1828, at Berlin, under the favor and patronage of 

 the King of Prussia The whole number assembled on the 

 occasion was four hundred and sixty-seven, of whom three 

 hundred and twenty-four were Prussians, one hundred and 

 nine Germans, and thirty-four were from different States of 

 Europe, including France, England, Holland, and Russia. 



The session was opened by a discourse from Alexander 

 De Humboldt, President, in which he stated the object of 

 the convocation, and pointed out the advantages of such a 

 miion of the friends of science, from different parts of the 

 world, and its influence on the disc'overy and propagation of 

 useful truths. 



The meeting was continued during a week. Committees 

 were appointed on Astronomy, Geography, Chemistry, Min- 

 eralogy, Botany, Zoology, Anatomy, Physiology, and Medi- 

 cine. Some of the discourses have been printed, among 

 which are those of A. De Humboldt, at the opening of the 

 congress, and a memoir of M. Reinv^^ardts, of Leyden, upon 



