554 
of noinflammationor irritation in the ner- 
vous trunk; from which it is inferred that 
the nerves fupplying an organ of fenfe, 
are not fo liable to fuch effeéts as thofe 
which belong tu the other parts of the 
body. Hence in feveral cafes of tumours of 
the fize of a pea, Mr. Home has fucce(s. 
fully taken away that portion of the 
tongue upon which they grew, by means 
of a neecJe armed with a doub e ligature, 
From theie cates Mr. Home concludes, 
that the tongue is lefs irritable than al- 
moit any « ther organized part of the body ; 
therefore the peculiar fubitance which is 
interpoled between the fatciculi of its muf- 
cular fibres, is not in any refpeét connected 
with the nerves which pais through its 
fubftance to the organ of tafte, but is 
merely a foft medium, to admit of great 
facility of action in its different parts. 
The nerves of the tongue apvear to be 
more readily comprefled and deprived of 
their power of communicating fenfation, 
than nerves in general; and any injury 
done to them is not produétive of difeafed 
action in the trunk of the injured nerve. 
The tongue appears to have a power of 
throwing off its floughs in a fhorter time 
than any other part; confequently, the re- 
moval of any part of the tongue difpoied 
to become cancerous, may be attempted 
with fafety. Since the difeafe in the 
tongue always begins in avery {mall por- 
tion of that organ, it is, inthe early Rage, 
more within the reach of removal than 
when in any other part of the body; and 
asthe glands cf the tongue are independ- 
New Patents lately enrolled. 
(Jan. 1, 
ent of each other, the caticerous difpofi- 
tion by which one of them is attacked, 
does not fo readily communicate itfelf to 
the others ; and the part’may be removed 
with a greater degree of fecurity againtt 
a future recurrence of the difeafe, than in 
other cafes where this malady attacks 2 
portion of a large gland, the whole of 
which may be under the influence of the 
poifon long before there is asy appear- | 
ance of its being difeafed, 
On Wednefday, the 30th of November, 
this Society held their anniverfary meet- 
ing at Somerfet Houfe, when the ‘gold 
medal was prefented to R. Chenevix, 
E/q. tor his various chemical papers com- 
municated to the Society, and printed im 
the Philofophical Tranfactions. 
The Society then proceeded to the 
choice of the council and officers for the 
enfuing year, when it appeared that the 
following gentlemen were elected of the- 
council; 
Of the Gld Council.—Sir J. Banks, 
Lord Morton, Count Rumford, Sir C. 
Biagden, Drs. Mafkelyne and Gray, H. 
Cavendifh, C.' Greville, C. Hatchett, W. 
Marfden, and J. Pianta, Efqrs. 
Of the’ New Council. —Yhe Dukes of 
Gordon and Somerfet, the Bifhop of Lin- 
coln, Rev. S. Wefton, Dr. Saunders, R.A. 
S:lifbury, M. Smith, E. Adolphus, J. 
Walker, and G. Wilfon, Efqrs. 
Officers. —Sir J. Banks, prefident ; W. 
Mariden, Efq. treafurer ; J. Planta, E({q. 
and Dr. Gray, fecretaries. 
NEW. PATENTS LATER® ENROLLED. 
——“ 
MR. L. OLIVIER’S, (BURY ST. ED- 
MUND’S,) for DINING- TABLES, &c. 
HIS parent includes almoft all kinds 
of tables, fuch as dining~-tables, 
Pembroke, card-tables, &c. The ob- 
je of the patentee is to render them 
itrong and portable. By means of 
hinges, {prings, and bolts, the upper part 
of the table is made to fwing round, fo 
that when it is not in ule, it may take up 
a {mall fpace at the fide, or in the corn-r 
of a room. They are all formed with 
claws and. pillars; and the claws are 
maie to put on and take off at pleafure. 
Obfervation —For packing up and for 
carriage this improvement may be found 
very uieful ; but the trouble of taking. 
away, aad replacing the claws, will, in 
other caies, render it of no great fervice. 
MR. THOMAS NEWSTEAD’S, (KING- 
STON-UPON-HULL,) for 4 METHOD 
of preparing BARILLA and KBLP, and 
the NEUTRAL SALTS obtained from 
them. 
There are feveral objects propofed to 
be obtained hy the patentee, of which the 
firtt is to concentrate the alkali contained 
in barilla andkelp. For this purpole, it 
is ground very fmall, and mixed with 
water, till ic is faturated. Barilla, or 
kelp, is then added, by final] quantities at 
atime, till the water, which is made to 
boil, is quite faturated. The liquor is 
then to be transferred into a vat, provided 
with fand, to filter. The fame procels is 
repeated once, or twice, or oftener, till the 
reiidue is fit only for manure, or for the 
ufe of the glafs-manufacturer. 
The 
