256 Proceedings of Societies. [June ? 



3. A letter from Mons. Desjardins, containing the proces-verbal of the Meet- 

 ings of the Society of Natural History of the Mauritius, from the 20th December, 

 1831, to the 17th January, 1832. 



4. Dr. Casanova's account of the Medical properties of the Mineral Waters 

 of San Pedro, in the Havanna ; being the result of an examination of those wa- 

 ters, and a topographical account of the district, undertaken by order of the 

 Colonial Government. The springs alluded to are thermal sulphureous ; and 

 their medical properties were found to be diuretic, aperient, and tonic. The 

 treatise embraces an account of the diseases in which these waters have been 

 found useful, as well as instructions for their employment. 



5. Dr. Woodburn's account of Cholera, in the district of Sherghati, present- 

 ed by the Medical Board. 



6. Mr. A. K. Lindesay's case of complicated Visceral disease, in which 

 urinary calculi were found on dissection, presented by the Medical Board. 



7. Observations on Hepatic Abscess, by W. Geddes, Esq. Surgeon of the 

 Madras European Regiment. 



8. Mr. Hutchinson's letter proposing the publication of a Quarterly Medical 

 Journal ; — to consist of a selection from the best medical publications ; with an 

 appendix to contain any papers of minor importance, or ephemeral interest, that 

 mi"-ht have been laid before the Society in the interval ; and a precis of the latest 

 medical intelligence, as well as an account of the proceedings of the various 

 scientific bodies at the Presidency. The work to be supplied to the members of 

 the Society at prime cost, or even gratuitously ; and a small profit realized by 

 the sale of extra copies at a higher price. 



The expediency of making some of the Society's publications convey early 

 intelligence of important discoveries in medicine, and of the progress of 

 medical science in general, without any expence to the members, has been al- 

 ready twice brought to the notice of the Society, and some steps taken with a 

 view of altering the form, and very much increasing the size of the Monthly 

 Circular ; for the purpose of comprehending an account of the progress of medi- 

 cal science in other parts of the world, so arranged as to admit of being bound 

 up in a volume at the end of each year. The Society's annual publications 

 would thus comprise one volume, principally composed of the discoveries in 

 , every branch of the profession in other parts of the world : — besides the volume of 

 Transactions, as heretofore published. 



9. Mr. Raleigh's remarks on an instrument for depressing the Cataract, by 

 which he hopes to secure all advantages belonging to the native mode of operat- 

 ing, when performed in the best and most successful manner; at the same time, 

 that many of the dangerous consequences frequently attendant on their mode of 

 operating, may be avoided. A specimen of the instrument devised by the author, 

 was sent for the inspection of the Society ; its shape somewhat resembles one 

 blade of a midwifery forceps on a very minute scale. It is fixed in a handle like 

 the common couching-needle : the blade is about an inch in length; the two- 

 thirds next to the handle being round, the remaining third spreads, so as to form 

 an oblong oval shallow spoon, the centre of which being cut out leaves an oval 

 ring ; and its extremity is bent slightly forward ; the widest part of the oval 

 measures about the tenth of an inch, but the thickness does not exceed that of a 

 couching-needle. The mode of operating is as follows : — with a lancet-shaped 

 knife, a vertical puncture is made the eighth of an inch in length through the 



