69 
contact with each other. Mr. K. disco- 
vered, some time since, that the specific 
gravity of the sap increases during its 
ascent in the spring, and that saccharine 
matter is generated, which: did not pre- 
viously exist in the alburnum, nor in the 
sap, as it rose from the root: these effects 
he now supposes to be produced by the 
air contained 1m the alburnous tubes. 
Mr.Wilham Garrard has laid before the 
Royal Sociéty the discovery which he has 
made of anew property of the tangents of 
hree angles of a plane triangle, which 
iay be thus expressed: ‘In every plane 
riangle, the sum of the three tangents of 
the three angles multiplied by the square 
of radius, is equal to the continued pro- ~ 
duct of the tangents.” From this Dr. 
Maskelyne was ied to consider whether a 
similar property might not belong to the 
tangents of three arches trisecting the 
whole circumference of a circle, which 
he found to be the case; and he proves 
the truth of the proposition by supposing 
the circumference of the circle to be any 
how divided into three arches, A, B, C, 
and then, he says, “ the square of radius 
multiplied into the sum of the tangents of 
the three arches A, B, C, is equal to the 
product of the tangents multiplied toge- 
ther.” E 
Dr. Reeve, of Norwich, having, some 
few years since, in a visit to Switzerland 
and the neighbouring countries, embraced 
the opportunity of examining very mi- 
nutely into the causes of Cretinism, has 
lately presented the result of his enquiries 
to the Royal Society. He was led to the 
investigation, because cretinism is usually 
connected with goitre or bronchocele; but, 
upon attending to the facts, he found, 
that the goitre 1s not a constant attendant 
upon cretinism. The Cretin has fre- 
quently this disigurement; his head is 
also deformed, his stature diminutive, his 
complexion sickly, his countenance va- 
cant and destitute of meaning, his lips 
and eye-lids coarse and prominent, his 
skin wrinkled and pendulous, his muscles 
loose and flabby. The qualities of his 
mind correspond with the deranged state 
of the body which it mhabits, and creti- 
nism. prevails. 
Upon a minute examination of many 
Cretins, Dr. Reeve found, that there 
was no necessary connection between goi- 
tre and cretinism; the latter often exists 
where tnere is no appearance of goitre; 
but, according to this gentleman, there 
is a considerable similarity between cre- 
finism and the malady called rickets, 
Proceedings of Learned Societies. 
[Feb. | 
They both take place in imiatcy, @ 
both characterized by feebleness of bot, 
and, sooner or later, feebleness of min; 
and they both affect males and femal; 
equally: but there is no connection hy 
tween persons afilicted with bronchoce, 
in England, and with rickets. To ac 
count for cretinism, we are told, that che 
vallies, where it 1s most frequent, are sur- 
rounded by very high mountains: they 
are sheltered from currents of air, and 
exposed to the direct and reflected rays 
of thesun. The effiuvia from the marshes 
are very strong, and the atmosphere hu- 
mid, close, and oppressive. “ Ali the 
Cretins,” says Dr. R, “‘which I saw, were 
in adjoiing houses, situated In a narrow 
corner of the valiey, the houses being 
built up under ledges of the rocks, and 
all of them very filthy, very close, very 
hot, and miserable habitations.” In vil- 
lages situated higher up the mountains, 
there are no Cretins to be seen; and even 
children, having a tendency to this dread- 
ful affliction, may often be cured by being 
removed from the valley to the mountain, 
Dr. R. contradicts the notion that has 
long prevailed, that the goitre and creti- 
nism depend onthe drinking snow-water. 
The production of cretinism may, he 
thinks, be safely and fairly attributed to 
the bad quality of the air and the food, 
the neglect of moral education, and other 
evils attendant on poverty. The causes 
of this cruel disorder begin to operate 
upon the system soon after, perhaps 
even before, birth; the want of energy in 
the parent is communicated to the off- 
spring; the children become deformed, 
rw) 
‘the growth and developement of the body 
are impeded, the abdomen becomes en- 
larged, and the glands swelled in various 
degrees; and the powers of the mind re- 
main dormant, or become entirely obli- 
terated, partly from want of proper or- 
ganization, and partly fram the total neg- 
lect of every thing lke education. Dr. 
Reeye gives some drawings of the heads 
of Cretins, to shew that they differ from 
the natural structure; hence, he adds, 
that there is no fact in the natural history 
of man, that affords an argument so di- 
rect and impressive in proof of the influ- 
ence of physical causes on the mind, as 
cretinism. It shows, moreover, that the 
growth of every part is essentially con- 
nected with the conditions in which it is 
fit to exercise its peculiar functions; and, 
jn this respect, it fares with the intellec- 
‘tual, as with the bodily, powers. 
MONTHLY 
