Medical Science. 



411 



ent classes of animals, as instanced in the difference of structure 

 observed in the heart, in fishes, reptiles, birds, and mammalia; 

 a singular provision, constantly found in the heart of a division 

 of the latter class, it was the object of this paper to describe, viz, 

 bones found in the heart of the ruminantia. The example and 

 specimens presented to the section, were those of the heart in 

 the common ox. The Professor exhibited and demonstrated 

 the two principal bones, from dried specimens and recent pre- 

 parations, showing their situation and attachment, by various 

 sections. These bones were found neither in the horse nor stag. 

 They had been mentioned by some writers on Comparative 

 Anatomy as accidental ossifications, found only in the adult ani- 

 mal, particularly in the male. This was an erroneous view ; 

 they were constant, and found in the calf as invariably as in the 

 adult, in both male and female. The principal purposes assign- 

 ed to these productions, were, to preserve the patency of the 

 aorta, which would be endangered from the enormous muscu- 

 larity of the ventricle in these animals, to serve as a fixed point 

 of action to the muscular fibres, to prevent total closure of the 

 ventricles, and to protect the large sinuses from the powerful 

 resilience of the aorta; the latter purpose was also assigned by 

 Dr Harrison to the very remarkable hard mass of fat found at 

 the base of the heart in these animals. 



5. Dr Houston read an interesting memoir on hydatids, and 

 Professor Harrison on the entozoa occasionally found in the vo- 

 luntary muscles of the human subject. — Dr Roe of Cavan stated 

 a case of a living leech having been discharged from an abscess 

 which he opened on the leg of a boy. The leech must nave en- 

 tered the limb several days previous, and retained its vitality 

 under this confined and novel situation. — The next paper was 

 from Dr Collins, being an abstract of a registry of seven years 

 in the Lying-in Hospital of Dublin. — The next paper was from 

 Sir James Murray, on the influence of the pressure of the atmo- 

 sphere in certain local diseases ; and Professor Jacob, at the 

 same meeting, read some interesting observations on the mam- 

 mary glands in the cetacea. At 4 o'clock the Section adjourned. 



Thursday, 13th August — 6. The first paper read was a va- 

 luable report on poisons by Dr Roupell. — Dr Alison next read 

 to the section a very important and ingenious memoir on the 



