94 
Proceedings of Societies. 
[March, 
2. — Medical and Physical Society. 
Tuesday , 5 th March. 
The President in the Chair. 
Drs. MacNab, Bruce, and Voight were elected Members. 
The following communications received since last meeting, were laid before the 
Society. 1 — A letter from Mr. Grierson, (from London,) forwarding a print of the 
great Sympathetic Nerve, and an Articulated Skeleton, formerly ordered by the 
Society. 2 — A letter from Assistant Surgeon Spry, (presented by the Medical Board,) 
on the manufacture of Glauber’s Salt at Cawnpore. 3 — A letter from Dr. Steven- 
son, His Majesty’s 13th Light Dragoons, from Trichinopoly, with a specimen of 
Lichen Vulgaris , which is used as a Dietetic on that side of India. 4 — A communi- 
cation from Dr. Minto, with a specimen of lumbricus from the stomach of a 
child. 5 — A report on fractures, by Mr. Raleigh. 6 — An account of the Cholera 
which appeared on board the H. C. Chartered ship Abercrombie Robinson, on her 
voyage from Bombay to China. 7 — A book, with detail of all the cases alluded 
to in the above report. 8 — An account of the Medical properties of the Haritaka , 
or Myrobolan, from Rajah Kali Kissen, presented by Mr. Grant. 9— A Report of 
experiments, by Mr. Twining, to ascertain the Medical properties of Senna produced 
at the Honorable Company’s Botanic Garden, Saharunpore, and sent down by Mr. 
Royle. A specimen of Hill’ Rhubarb, prepared by Mr. Royle, of Saharunpore, was 
laid upon the table. Mr. Spry’s letter on the manufacture of Sulphate of Soda; Mr. 
Preston’s communication on ligature of the Carotid Artery ; and Mr. Raleigh’s report 
on fractures, were then read, and g'ave rise to some interesting discussion. 
Sulphate of Soda, or Glauber’s Salt, it appears, exists in a native state in different 
parts of this country. That prepared and reported on by Mr. Spry, is derived 
from a mineral earth, well known to the natives by the name of Khare Muttie, the 
former word being the Arabic for Alkali, and the latte'r Sanscrit for earth The 
only use made of the salts, by the Natives of Oude, is to give it to their sheen, it 
being supposed to have the effect of fining the fleece. The face of the country 
whence it is brought, is flat, and intersected by deep ravines. It abounds in the 
neighbourhood of Onaoo, about ten miles from the banks of the Ganges, and is in 
hard striated masses, mixed with sand. In rendering the salt free from impurities, 
little difficulty is experienced. The process adopted by the Natives is both easy 
and simple. It consists in boiling the Khare Muttie in little more than its weight 
of water, the whites ot eggs having been previously beaten up and mixed with it 
until a pellicle forms It is then allowed to stand for about half an hour, that 
the iinpunties may subside-after which the supernatant liquor is set aside to 
crystal ize. This process is repeated to free the crystals from any remaining 
impurities, and the salt is then laid apart for use. Two pounds of earth treated 
m this manner, yields one pound of pure Glauber’s Salt. 
Pals v 1 ^h rtktps 6 PreSt ° n ’ S deviati °n from the usual mode of treating 
Palsy, he states, that lie conceived generally, that the operation of tyin- the 
Carotid Artery might be had recourse to with advantage in diseases of the brain, 
especially such as we have reason to believe depend unon • a 
or irritation of that organ , as its prineipai StS dZk Lf “up S 
of Mood, an object we have more or less in view, in the treZenf of 2U 
a ee ions, a t longh it cannot always be accomplished by depletory measures. 
Venesection, and the appl cat on of leeches ;Lv„ocn f j P*etory measures. 
head, partly by the disturbance they excite ^ “ tllC 
tion which frequently follows their employment A more d. mhlo y VT 
ed effect, it appeared to Mr. Preston "ta induced hv rt ' more deed- 
any mode of depletion ; and he inclined to the oniJiion thatYt h ! S 1 °P eratlo 1 n than b > 
or greatly diminish congestion, and cliromV Lfinm . f ,ni ght entirely remove 
membranes, the cause he believes of many diseases ** which th the bram ’ an ? 
treatment too frequently fail of relievin'* / At hlc \ the comn ion mode of 
Preston’s care, which appearing hopeless* the disp;fU i ^ cai ? e under Mr. 
by the remedies employed, and the strength bemnnino- ein p altogether unalfectec 
tying the common carotid artery, which he^did acconlimrlv h . e determined on 
mg in mind the circumstance, that injury of either I J 1 ^ lt , side b f a ^' 
the side of the body opposite the leS and ere Z * 1 brain 
the left side. The case is minutely report^ on fn^i p " a J ytlc affection was on 
operation, but the paralysis, it seems, was not cured • ti° U da ^ s a ! ter t ie 
what improved, having recovered the poweTo/mSiil ^ ^ ^ had f 0 ? 6 
w it h & t fTe he 1 p ^of a ST “* ^ ^ 
according b/the iZidpk"'laTd dm rn' "ulla’ «■ itb ' t T pol t on the treatment of fractures 
F ’ and Wlth th e apparatus recommended by Mr. 
