373 



The following papers were read, viz. — ■ 



1. " Magnetic-term Observations of the Declination, Inclination, 

 and total Intensity, made at the Magnetic Observatory at Prague." 

 By G. Kreil, Director of the Prague Observatory, Communicated 

 by S. Hunter Christie, Esq., Sec. R.S, 



2. " On the Chemical Analysis of the contents of the Thoracic 

 Duct in the Human Subject." By George Owen Rees, M.D., Phy 

 sician to the Northern Dispensary. Communicated by P. M. Roget, 

 M.D., Sec. R.S. 



The author, availing himself of a favourable opportunity which 

 presented itself of examining the contents of the thoracic duct in a 

 human subject, procured an hour and a quarter after death by hang- 

 ing, to the amount of six fluid drachms, obtained by analysis the fol- 

 lowing result : — 



Water, per cent 90*48 



Albumen, with traces of fibrinous matter ... 7*08 



Aqueous extractive, or Zomodine 2*56 



Alcoholic extractive, or Osmazome 0*52 



Alkaline chloride, carbonate and sulphate, 

 with traces of phosphate, and oxide of 



iron 0*44 



Fatty matters 0*92 



100- 



The fatty matters possessed the same general characters as those 

 of the blood, except that they did not contain phosphorus, as ap- 

 peared from their yielding an alkaline, instead of an acid ash by in- 

 cineration. The aqueous extractive differed from that of the blood 

 by giving a ferruginous ash. The salts obtained by incineration 

 from the alcoholic extractive yielded a larger proportion of alkaline 

 carbonate than those of the blood. The author is confirmed, by the 

 experiments he made on the present occasion, in his former views 

 concerning the cause of the white colour of the chyle, which he 

 ascribes to the presence of opake white salivary matter as one of its 

 constituents. The author then gives the results of his microscopi- 

 cal examination of the globules of the chyle, which he finds differ 

 totally from those of the blood. He points out as being remarkable 

 the large quantity of fatty matter existing in the chyle, and consti- 

 tuting an hydrocarbonaceous ingredient, which is constantly being 

 added to the mass of blood, and is very rapidly consumed ; as ap- 

 pears from the small quantity of this matter discoverable in the 

 blood itself. The proportional quantity of osmazome in the chyle 

 he finds greatly to exceed that contained in the blood. 



