674 



gen to the atmosphere ; the other, hitherto little attended to, in 

 which it acts as a menstruum, conveying certain compounds, inso- 

 luble in water^ from the soil into the interior of plants to become 

 constituents of their organism. 



The experiments he details are of two kinds, one set being on 

 single coriipoiinds, the other on a mixture of these compounds. The 

 results of the latter seem to prove that water impregnated with car- 

 bonic acid is capable of dissolving several substances at the same 

 time, and of keeping them mixed in solution, as carbonate of lime, 

 carbonate of magnesia, phosphate of lime, silica, &c. 



He concludes his paper with certain remarks of a theoretical 

 nature, founded on his experimental results, bearing on vegetable 

 physiology, soils and their substrata, and mineral waters, — making 

 these remarks, as he says, with the hope of drawing attention to the 

 subject in its most interesting relations, and of exciting further and 

 more minute research, 



" An Account of the Hurricane of the 10th of October, 1846, at 

 the Havanna, contained in a Despatch addressed to Viscount Pal- 

 raerston by Her Majesty's Commissioners at the Havanna, dated 

 the 24th of February, 1847." Communicated, through the President, 

 by Viscount Palmerston, 



The hurricane commenced at half-past ten o'clock on the night 

 of the 1 0th of October, 1846, and was at its utmost height until 

 from seven to ten the following morning, producing tlie most exten- 

 sive destruction of houses and public buildings, and great devasta- 

 tion among the shipping in the harbour. The barometer was ob- 

 served to fall to the lowest point, after the hurricane had subsided. 

 The progress of the hurricane appears to have been from the south, 

 and passing on to the west, to have lost itself in Florida. It was 

 not attended with lightning, as was the case with the hurricane of 

 1844. 



May 6, 1847. 



The MARQUIS OF NORTHAMPTON, President, in the Chair. 



The Right Hon. Lord John Russell was elected into the Society. 



" Researches into the effects of certain Physical and Chemical 

 Agents on the Nervous System." By Marshall Hall, M.D., F.R.S., 

 &c. 



In this paper, to which the author considers his former commu- 

 nication as strictly preliminary, he proposes to treat of what he terms 

 the electrogenic state in the spinal marrow and in incident nerves, 

 and to give the details of the collateral experiments he alluded to 

 at the close of his last paper. He also submits to the consideration 

 of the Society the following circumstances, namely, 



" 1. The electrogenic state of the nerves admits of being dis- 



