532 BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. 
Varnal’s improved screw balling iron ; tobacco-smoke enema 
apparatus ; Read’s patent stomach-pump, and enema syringe; 
the patent probang and cattle tube ; the improved cradle for 
horse’s neck ; the sliding and other bronchotomy tubes ; 
firing irons, with shifting handles ; horse’s feet, variously 
shod, showing the method which has been adopted to pre- 
serve the foot, and overcome the effects of diseases. A great 
variety of pattern shoes, including Coleman’s expansion 
shoe. ” 
BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF 
SCIENCE. 
That the proceedings of this Society, which has recently 
held its annual meeting at Cheltenham, should be rich in 
matters connected with medicine, is not at all surprising. 
From the reports in the public journals we select the follow- 
ing, observing that probably more will follow. 
1 . — Cause of the Coagulation of the Blood . 
The Astley Cooper prize of £300, presented triennially 
through the College of Surgeons, has this year been awarded 
to Dr. B. W. Richardson. The subject of the Essay was 
the Coagulation of the Blood. As Dr. Richardson gave an 
account of his researches at the Physiological Section of the 
British Association, we are enabled to state that this Prize 
Essay contains the announcement of a very important disco- 
very. The cause of the coagulation of the blood has hitherto 
been a mystery to physiologists. Dr. Richardson has 
demonstrated that the cause of the fluidity of the blood is 
the presence in the blood of the volatile alkali ammonia. 
This fact he has arrived at by a series of well-conducted 
experiments. The communication was listened to with the 
deepest interest by the audience ; and, at the conclusion, 
drew forth the warmest eulogium from the President of the 
Section and the physiologists present. 
An abstract of this paper being promised, we shall not lose 
sight of it. 
2 . — 'On several new methods of detecting Strychnia and Brucia ; 
a New Method of Extracting the Alkaloids from Nux Vomica , 
for Toxicological and Manufacturing Purposes. Experiments on 
Animals with Strychnia , and probable Reasons for non-detection 
