205 



From this it appears, that though the Magdeburg iron contains all 

 the ingredients characteristic of meteoric iron.it is essentially distinct 

 from all others hitherto examined, by the presence of molybdenum 

 and arsenic ; by the smaller and rather anomalous proportion of nickel 

 and cobalt which enters into its composition j by the admixture of some 

 capillary copper and of variegated copper ore, instead of the magnetic 

 pyrites found in some meteoric iron ; and, lastly, by the presence, 

 though only a trace, of sulphuret of silver. 



Professor Stromeyer then enters into an examination of the circum- 

 stances which appear opposed to the opinion which assigns a meteoric 

 origin to this iron, and of the objections against its being the product of 

 artificial fusion ; among which, one of the greatest is its considerable 

 alloy of molybdenum, — a metal which has hitherto not been observed 

 either in ores of iron and copper, or in any slags or other products of 

 smelting furnaces. But Dr. Stromeyer has since obtained, from the 

 Hartz Mountains, a similar and equally problematical mass of iron, the 

 analysis of which has furnished nearly the same results as that of the 

 Magdeburg iron, except that it contained no variegated copper ore. 

 Future observations will probably throw more light upon the nature of 

 these enigmatical metallic bodies ; at all events, the discovery of mo- 

 lybdenum in them is so far of great interest, as, in case they should 

 ultimately prove to be artificial products, it is fair to conjecture that 

 that scarce metal must enter into combinations still unknown to the 

 chemical mineralogist, or occur in some ores in a masked state and 

 such small proportions as to become (like titanium) apparent only in 

 the products of the long-continued operations of the smelting fur- 

 nace. 



The following papers were read : — 



1. "Observations on the Physiology of the Nerves of Sensation, il- 

 lustrated by a case of Paralysis of the Fifth Pair." By John Bishop, 

 Esq. Communicated by P." M. Roget, M.D., Sec. R.S. 



The influence of the fifth pair of nerves on the functions of sight, 

 smell, and taste, is a subject which has lately occupied the attention 

 of physiologists. Many experiments have been made on living ani- 

 mals with a view to its elucidation ; but these experiments have never 

 led to any satisfactory conclusion. Considerable light has been thrown 

 upon this obscure question by the phenomena attending a case of pa- 

 ralysis of the fifth pair of nerves, which occurred in the author's prac- 

 tice, and of which he gives the history in detail, after quoting the ac- 

 count given by Magendie of his experiments and speculations respect- 

 ing the functions of these nerves. 



The lady who was the subject of these observations had been af- 

 fected with total insensibility of the left side of the face and head, to- 

 gether with strabismus, accompanied with double vision ; but the 

 powers of voluntary motion of all these parts remained entire. The 

 globe of the left eye was quite insensible to touch, though it retained 

 the power of vision unimpaired, excepting that for sometime previous 

 to death it had lost the faculty of distinguishing colours. The left 

 nostril received no impressions from the most irritating stimulants, 



