Union Scientific Meeting at Dresden. 297 



lecteel from the best officinal species. — M. Moreau de Jonnes 

 communicated some details on the recent appearance of the 

 yellow-fever in the West Indies. — M. Perrin communicated 

 a manuscript, entitled A Steganographic vocabulary, or the 

 art of communicating rapidly during the day or the night, at 

 great distances. — M. Arago presented the results of barome- 

 tric observations and measurements made at la Chapelle, by 

 M. Breaute, from 1819 to 1825. — M. Savary read a memoir 

 on the magnetic phsenomena produced by electric currents. 



MEETING AT DRESDEN, OF THE PROFESSORS OF MEDICINE AND 

 THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES IN GERMANY. 



The following article occupies a considerably larger space 

 than we usually devote to our notices of the proceedings of 

 scientific societies ; but it announces the formation of a union, 

 and describes the detail of transactions which are stamped with 

 a character altogether novel to this country — a consideration 

 which gives it more than the ordinary interest of such narra- 

 tives, and excuses us for transgressing our usual limits. Yet 

 we ought to add, that as here presented, it is only an abridge- 

 ment of three articles from the Allgemeine Zeitung, a journal 

 which ranks high in its department throughout Germany. 

 The passages omitted are of no historic value, and would 

 therefore be of little interest to the English reader. 



About five years ago a voluntary union was formed of all 

 the cultivators of the different branches of natural science. The 

 plan agreed upon was, to hold a general assembly annually on 

 the 18th of September, and the four following days, at a place 

 to be appointed by the members, for the purpose of commu- 

 nicating in common any thing worthy of remark, as well as 

 the newest discoveries which each member might have made 

 in his particular branch of inquiry. The Society was to have 

 neither fixed members nor separate journals of its proceedings; 

 its directors were to be temporary; and any one had liberty 

 to enter it who might in any degree have distinguished him- 

 self in his own province. 



The greater part of those who attended the earlier meetings, 

 delighted with the journey, were naturally induced to attend 

 the succeeding ones, at each of which they had the oppor- 

 tunity of becoming acquainted with distinguished cultivators 

 and friends of science. In this manner the Society has thrived, 

 without ever issuing a diploma, which is too often only the 

 phantom of merit. 



The first meeting of the kind was held at Leipsic in 1822 ; 

 at which, to the great gratification of all present, the venerable 

 Blumenbach attended ; and every thing went off in the best 



Vol. G8. No. 342. Oct. 1826. 2 P manner. 



