770 
Facts and Observations. 
Employment of Electricity in Bright’s Disease. 
—By the application of galvanism to the loins of a patient 
for half an hour, M. Namias found the obstacle to the 
separation of urea from the blood to be removed, and the 
quantity of urine increased. More albumen was also secreted, 
but M. Namias considers this to be of small consequence, 
compared with the benefit resulting from a greater elimina¬ 
tion of urea. 
Action of Tobacco on the Pulse. —M. Decaisne 
states that in the course of three years he has met with 
twenty-one cases of intermittent pulse occurring among 
eighty-eight incorrigible smokers, and independent of any 
organic disease of the heart. He calls this affection 
thus induced by the abuse of tobacco “ narcotism of the 
heart.” 
New Source of Potash.— Professor Church has 
analysed a mineral of a coral-red colour, stated to have been 
obtained from Cheshire, where it probably overlies the salt- 
beds, and finds it contains 25 '7 per cent, of chloride of potas¬ 
sium. It has been suggested that it is the result of the 
drying up of the nncient seas. 
Constitution of Matter. —Some speculative ideas have 
been recently advanced by Mr. T. Graham, F.R.S., respecting 
the constitution of matter. He says it is conceivable that 
the various kinds of matter, now recognised as different 
elementary substances, may possess one and the same ulti¬ 
mate or atomic molecule existing in different conditions of 
movement. The essential unity of matter is an hypothesis 
in harmony with the equal action of gravity upon all bodies. 
We know the anxiety with which this point was investigated 
by Newton, and the care he took to ascertain that every 
kind of substance, metals, stones, woods, grain, salts, animal 
substances, &c., are similarly accelerated in falling, and are, 
therefore, equally heavy. Let us imagine one kind of sub¬ 
stance to exist—ponderable matter ; and, further, that matter 
is divisible into ultimate atoms, uniform in size and weight. 
We shall have one substance and a common atom. With 
the atom at rest, the uniformity of matter would be per¬ 
fect. But the atom always possesses more or less motion, 
due, it must be assumed, to a primordial impulse. This 
