343 
Meteorological Observations, 
arsenical appearance ; dissolved in boiling nitric acid, they gave no al- 
liaceous smell when put on red-hot charcoal ; in fact, they possessed 
none of the characteristics of arsenic. These spots were, how'ever, 
very numerous ; submitted for nearly twenty days to a current of sul- 
phuretted hydrogen gas, they gave no indication of arsenic. It is pos- 
sible that they were a mixture of arsenic and animal matter, and that 
the muscular flesh of two or three bodies might yield some by ana- 
lysis ; lastly, other processes may discover it in the same quantities 
as those employed, by occasioning less loss ; therefore, addsM. Orfila, 
I will not conclude, positively, that arsenic does not exist in muscu- 
lar flesh. 
IV. It is possible to ascertain that the arsenic which may be dis- 
covered does not come from the organic substance itself, but that 
it has been confbined with it by absorption. For if it be found in 
the bones, it will not be removed by long boiling in water, unless 
it had been introduced ; and the same holds good with respect to the 
blood and the organs which have been examined. 
Lastly, if the muscles yield spots, some of which resemble arsenic 
at first sight, the distinctive characters which have been stated 
must be remembered ; and if the subject had taken arsenical re- 
medies, this circumstance ought to be particularly attended to. — 
Journal de Chim. Med., Dec. 1839. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS FOR FEB.j 1840. 
Chiswick. — Feb. 1. Cloudy ; rain. 2. Very fine. S. Rain. 4. Boisterous 
with rain. 5. Rain : clear. 6. Rain ; cloudy. 7. Rain, 8. Heavy showers. 
9. Fine. 10. Heavy showers ; clear and very fine at night. 11. Fine. 12. 
Rain. 13. Very fine. 14. Foggy. 15. Frosty: rain. 16. Hazy and mild. 
17. Dense fog. 18. Dry cold haze. 19. Clear and cold. 20. Cloudy, with 
some snow-flakes falling. 21. Bleak and cold. 22. Overcast. 23. Cold and 
dry. 24. Fine but cold. 25. Frosty haze. 26. Cold haze. 27. Cloudy, cold 
and dry. 28, 29. Fine but cold. 
Boston. — Feb. 1. Cloudy: rain p.m. 2. Fine; rain early a. m. 3. Stormy: 
rain early A. M. 4. Stormy: rain early a.m. : rain p.m. 5. Cloudy: rain p.m. 
6. Cloudy. 7. Cloudy : rain early A.M. : rain p.m. 8. Fine: rain and snow p.m. 
9. Fine. 10. Rain. 11. Fine. 12 — 15. Fine ; rain p.m. 16, 17. Cloudy. 18. 
Fine. 19. Cloudy: snow a.m. and p.m. 20. Cloudy : snow a.m. 21. Cloudy: 
^now melted. 22. Cloudy. 23 — 27. Fine. 28. Cloudy. 29. Fine. 
Applegarth Manse, Dunjries-shire. — Feb. 1. Frequent showers. 2. Frequent 
showers : snow gone. 3. Frequent showers. 4, 5. Shower a.m. : fair rest of 
the day. 6. Rain very early : fine day. 7. Heavy rain a.m. : stormy p.m. 8. 
Occasional showers of rain and hail. 9, 10. Occasional showers of rain and hail 
with high wind p.m. 11. Fine day : a few drops of rain. 12. Storm of wind 
and rain P.M. 13. Fine day : no rain. 14. Fine day, but cloudy. 15. Wet 
morning: cleared up p.m. 16. Calm, cloudy, and mild. 17, 18. Fine a.m.: 
grew cloudy and sharp. 19. Cold easterly wind, but fair. 20. Cold easterly 
wind with slight frost and snow showers. 21. Cold easterly wind; frost: 
threatening snow. 22 — 24. Cold easterly wind: still frosty : sprinkling snow. 
25. Cold easterly wind. 26. Beautiful sunny day, but still frosty. 27. Beau- 
tiful sunny day : frost very keen. 28. Cloudy all day : but still freezing. 29. 
Fine frosty day. 
Sun shone out 25 days. Rain fell 13 days. Snow 2 days. Frost 10 days. 
Wind north-easterly 6 days. Easterly 3| days. South-easterly 7 days. 
Southerly 3§ days. South-westerly 8| days. West 1 day. 
Calm 14f days. Moderate 8 days. Brisk If day. Strong breeze 2 days. 
Boisterous 3 days. 
