584 
FRANCE. 
BM. Proust, a physician of some emi- 
‘nence at Paris, has lately endeavoured to 
prove that the cause of insanity is seated 
net so’much in the head, as in the 
stomach and bowels. He has observed, 
that the contents of the bowels, in those 
who have died whist under this disorder 
are replete with mucous or bilious matter, 
more or less discoloured and dark. 
Worms are often found, and the inner 
membrane of the bowels is constantly red- 
dish, or even changed altogether from its 
proper colour in divers points of its sur- 
face. ‘The gall-bladder and its ducts are 
always dilated, and frequently contain 
concretions. ‘The liver too is enlarged 
and swelled. These symptoms, M. Proust 
conceives establish the theory that the 
seat of the disease is in the stomach and 
Intestines. 
M. JousseLin, manufacturer of earth- 
en ware at Nevers, has announced in an 
Essay on the Improvement of the Pottery 
in general, -a discovery of a new method 
of enamelling or glazing, composed of 
materials so cheap, that the enamel which 
costs the manufacturer at present 320 
livres, wili not amount to more than 20, 
MM. Breatuvors, in some observations 
concerning the fecundation of mésses and 
mushrooms, says, that amidst the dust 
of the capsules of mosses, whic!: Hedwig 
considered as the seed, 1s a kind of nu- 
cleus or little axis, more or icss swelled, 
called by botanists the columella, In 
this nothing has been observed but a 
parenchyma more or less cellular. MM, 
Beauvois has discovered soine very small 
grains, which he belreves to be the true 
seeds; and the other dust that fills the 
capsule around he supposes to be the 
poilen. When the capsule is ciliated, 
the sete by their motion compress the 
pollen agaist the seeds to fecundate 
them, at the moment when they are 
about to escape. His opinion is the 
same with respect to mushrooms, The 
multitude of little grains or dust, spread 
over the gill, or other parts of some 
and included in others, as the lycoper- 
dons, which have been supposed to be 
seeds, are, according to him the pollen; 
which, in the same manner, fecundates 
the true seeds that are contained within 
this pollen, just as they burst from these. 
' M. Vavevenin has made an accurate 
analysis of the iron ores of France, their 
products, the fluxes employed, and the 
scoriz, with a view to ascertain the causes 
of the defective qualities of the iron. 
These he attributes to remains of chrome, 
Literary and Philosophical Intelligence. 
[Fan. 1, 
phosphorus, and manganese. He observes 
that this compound sublimed mm the 
furnace, bears much resemblance to that 
of the stones that have fallen from the 
aunesphere except that these contain 
nickel also; and he conceives it not im- 
possible that the particles carried up from 
our furnaces may contribute in some 
degree to their formation. 
Vhere have been killed in the first 
forest district, between the ist of January 
and the 20th of October, 4807 ; 221 male 
volves, 93 females, 48 young wolves, and 
937, other mischievous beasts. 
M. Cuampacny, the French minister 
of the interior, has presented to Bona- 
parte, a Report of the present State of 
Vaccination in France. This report was 
founded on materials returned by the 
prefects and clergy of the departments ; 
aud from it, it appears, that the introduc- 
tion of that mild substitute for the small! 
pox had met with considerable opposi- 
tion, In consequence of the translation of 
some English pamphlets, written with a 
view of preventing the inoculation from 
spreading. M. Champagny recommends 
the enforcing of some restrictions on the 
circulation of works having a tendency 
hostile to vaccination. 
-M. Lecuen avr, one of the naturalists 
who aceompanied the French circum- 
navigator, Captain Baudin, has arrived 
at Paris. He has brought with him a 
fine collection in natural history, consiséifi 
of minerals, manimiferous and oviparous 
quadrupeds, serpents, birds, shells, aid 
jasects, with a magnificent hortus siccus, 
and a very rare collection of arms and 
instruments from India, Otaheite, Java, 
and other neighbouring Islands. M. 
Lechenaultleft Captain Bandin at Batavia 
in extreme il? health. 
M. Buenorz has analysed the seed of 
lyconodium, which has afforded him the 
the following results; 100C parts of the 
seed contain 60 of a fat on analovous 
> 
to castor oil, and very soluble in water, 
30 of true sugar, and 15 of a mucilaginous 
extract. -The remainder consists of @ 
substance altogether insoluble in water, 
alcohol, ether, oil of turpentine, or caustic 
ixivium of potash. By long boiling with 
liquid potash however this substance is 
decomposed, gives out ammonia, and is 
converted into an extractive matter. By 
distilfation it affords carburetted hydrogen 
gas, and carbonic acid gas; and after- 
wards a watery liquor impregnated with 
acetate ofammonia, and an empyreumatic 
oil, ‘There remains a coal very analogous 
to anthracite and difficult of incineration. 
: | Nitrous 
