104 
Extea Meetings. December 11 th, 1868. — This evening the 
first of a series of extra meetings was held in the Library by per- 
mission of the Council of University College. The object of these 
meetings being to afford to members additional opportunities of 
exhibiting objects and conversing thereon, no business of a formal 
character was transacted. About seventy members were present, 
and objects of varied character and interest were placed under the 
microscopes. 
These meetings, which are entirely supplementary to the 
regular meetings, will be repeated on the second Fridays in the 
months of January, February, and March, at seven o’clock. 
Literary and Philosophical Society of Manchester. 
Ordinary Meeting, March 31s£, 1868. 
Edward Schunck, Ph.D., F.E.S., &c. President, in the chair. 
“ A Search for Solid Bodies in the Atmosphere,” by It. Angus 
Smith, Ph.D., F.R.S., &c. 
I have so frequently for many years attempted to find, and 
have found, organic substances which have passed from the air 
into liquids in which they were collected, that perhaps the Society 
will scarcely attend to another attempt, although it indicates, I 
think, some progress. It was in the year 1847 that I first col- 
lected what I believe was matter from the respiration and per- 
spiration, and found that as it was kept it grew into distinct 
confirmed forms. 
Whilst examining some matters relating to the cattle plague I 
found one or two remarkable points. I had before that time 
used aspirators to pass the air through liquids, except in the oxi- 
dation experiments. At that time I used simply a bottle which 
contained a little water. The bottle was filled with the air of the 
place and the water shaken in it. The difference of air was remark- 
able. A very few repetitions would cause the liquid to be muddy, 
and the particles found in many places were distinctly organic. 
Lately I tried the same plan on a larger scale. A bottle of 
the capacity of c.c. was filled with air and shaken with water. 
The bottle again filled and shaken with the same water, and this 
was repeated 500 times, nearly equal to 2 ^ million cbc., or 2495 
litres. As this could not be done in a short time, there was con- 
siderable variety of weather, but chiefly dry, with a westerly 
wind. The operation was conducted behind my laboratory, in 
the neighbourhood of places not very clear, it is true, but from 
which the wind was blowing to all parts of the town. I did not 
observe any dust blowing, but if there was dust it was such as 
we may be called on to breathe. The liquid was clouded, and the 
unaided eye could perceive that particles, very light, were float- 
iug. When examined by a microscope the scene was varied in a 
very high degree — there was evidently organic life. I thought it 
