375

five shares. A proprietary fundis to be constituted, (the Chairmandid not say when) amounting to

one million sterling. The profitsof the Proprietors are to be in-

vestigated at the end of everyfive orseven years.We feel satisfied tha.t the Medi-

cal, and Clerical Assurance Com-pany, is not established upon asolid basis, and are convinced thatit will prove an ephemeral institu-tion. It is perfectly uncalled for,excepting as far as the diseasedportion of the public is interested,and if the insurers are to consistof such only as are afflicted, withgout, asthma. hemorrhage." &c.&c., notwithstanding Dr. Bree’s

specious logic, the proprietors weapprehend will have no necessityto give themselves much uneasi-ness respecting the profits, andonce in fifty years, will be quiteoften enough for their distribution.The title of this society will

prove an insuperable obstacle toits success with the public; medi-cal and clerical ; is it to be

supposed that the public willexpect to derive any advantagesfrom such a combination; we

fear not; people in generalhave not sufficient confidencein the integrity of either pro-fession, neither doctor nor par-son is ever applied to exceptas a dernier resort, it thereforecannot be supposed that personswill voluntarily deposit theirproperty in the possession ofmen in whom they have no re-liance, while there are assu-

rance companies open to themof long standing, known respec-tability, and immense capital.Upon the whole then we strong-

ly advise the members of the me-dical profession not to join this

clerical- society, the union willneither prove satisfactory,nor lasting. The clergy are

too anxious for power, toomindful of worldly affairs, andthis institution if it exist for anylength of time, will-be entirely.under the-i nfluence of the digni-taries and other members of thechurch.

’

CHEMISTRY.

We stated in our last journal,that oxygen, chlorine, iodine, andfluorine, were alone supporters of,

combustion, while all other sub-

stances in nature, except nitro-

gen, were capable of burning when’in contact with one or other of

these supporters under favourable

circumstances, and were thereforecombustible bodies. In our ex-

periments to prove that no sub-

stance in nature will burn unless

one or other of the above sup-

porters be present, we shall selectthose substances which are gene-

rally known to be the most in-

flammable, and submit them to themost probable way for inflaming

f them, when absent from the Imp-. porter.

Phosphorus, perhaps, is as in--flammable a substance as we are

acquainted with, by " inflamma-ble," we mean that it is capable oftaking fire at a very low tempera-

376

ture. Take’, therefore, a piece ofphosphorus, and introduce it intoa lass, retort, furnished with asfrop, cock and cap, exhaust theatmospheric air from it, and nowapp!y a spirit lamp to that part ofthe retort where the phosphorusrests,a’nd carry the heat torednessor even until the glass fuses, andyet the phosphorus will not in-flame, simply because the sup-porter, viz. the oxygen of the at-mospheric air,. has been removedfrom the retort; but if, while theglass remains even. considerablyrecluced in temperature, any oneof the supporters ’above eiitime-rated be admitted to it, it will in-

stanfty itlflarne and burn vividly.A more simple method of makingtnti experiment, is to put a pieceof - phosphorus in a common

ounce phial, and place the

thumb on the mouth of i’, so asto prevent the passage of any airinto the bottle; hold it over a

lamp. until -the phosphorus in-flames and consumes,, the small

portion of oxygen present; and it-it will be observed, that the phos-phorus will then cease burning. Ifthe th.nmb.be removed from themouth of the phial so as to admitmore air, the phosphorus will

iustantly recommence burning;hut may as instantly, be extin--guished by preventing the accessof air to it-. Put a piece of phos-phorus in a tea cup or glass,tumbler, and pour boiling wateron it, the phosphorus, in virtueof its specific gravity, witl remainat the bottom, and not with stand-ing the teniperature, of the wateris more than sufficient for its in-flammation, yet it’wiil not take firebecause it is excluded from thepresence of a supporter; and toprove that this is actually the case,

let a stream of oxygen gas bepassed down through the wateron the phosphortts, by pressinga bladder of oxygen throu-gha-,to-bacco pipe ; it will be seen thatas- soon as the oxygen comes incontact with the phosphorus,that it will take fire and burnunder the water, so long as oxygenbe pressed upon ’it-. , Althoughpure oxygen gas be preferable forthis experiment, yet atmosphericair will succeed almost as well, asit contains sufficient. oxygen it!rthe support of the combustionof phosphorus. This experimentshows us that it is not beat but asupporter of combustion only, thatis wanted to enable phosphorus-to burn under hot water.

’

Hydrogen gas/the next inflam-mable simple body, may he pro-ved not to burn absent from a

supporter of combustion, byplunging a lighted taper into ,itunder these circunistances ; wfor,instead of taking fire, it will ex-tinguish the taper. To make tlielexperiment—fill a tall jar, stand-ing over the pnuematic troughwith hydrogen gas, now take it off,and, suddenly introduce a lightedtaper into the jar, taking care tokeep the mouth of the jar down-wards, otherwise the hydrogenwill escape in consequence’ of itsgreat comparative lightness; theresult of the experiment will be,’that the hydrogen will burn at‘the mouth of the jar; where it isia actual contact with the atmos-;phere in the form of a thin blue.flame, being ignited by the lightedtaper as it passed; but the taperitself, and the hydrogen’, within;the jar. being inserted -by thefiln) of flame, will neither of iltem!’b6in in fact, the taper wH! Heextinguished, (but’ may be- re-

377

kindled as it is taken out through-the film of flame, ’àt the mouth ofthe jar, and be again extinguishedwby being introduced a second timeinto the hydrogen gas. Fill are-’tort or other ’glass vessel, withpure hydrogen gas, and throwinto it a piece of phosphorus, nowif a red heat be given to the phos-phorus, it will net inflame. These’experiments prove that althoughhydrogen is combustible, that it

is not a supporter of combustion.Numerous experiments might be

mentioned which corroborate thetheory we have noticed, and wemay observe through all expe-riments bf the kind, there is :butone which throws any thing likedoubt upon its truth, which ex-

periment is, that if sulphur, (oneof the combustibles) be heated inaan exhausted Vessel with copper,(another combustible,) that thesetwo simple elements .will undergocombustion. As this is a solitaryinstance, and as onr knowledgeof sulphur is not at all perfect, weought not to receive the experi-ment in opposition to the abovelaw-bf combustion; but weshould rather conclude, that " com-bustion is the effect of intense che-mical action between two elements,one a supporter, the other a com-’bustible body; of different andopposite properties, a.nd,therefore,that unless both these elementsare present at the same time, nosuch attion- can take place, or

can such effects as those denomi-

nated fire be produced."

Foreign Department.ROYAL ACADEMY OF MEDICINE AT

PARIS.

(Sitting of the 23d. of March.)M. ITARD read a paper on thespontaneous development of theprussic acid in the alvine evacua-tions. He quoted two cases of thiskind. The subject of the first casehad-an inflammation of the intes-tines, the other presented symp-toms of inflammation of the liver.In both the individuals, the stoolssmelt strongly of -bitter almonds.M. ITARD regards these factsas important in a medico-legalpoint of view, and concludesfrom them, -that the existencemerely of the smell bf prussicacid in the fæces should not leadone believe that the person hadbeen poisoned_with this medi-

cine. M. DELENS related ionthis occasion several facts, which’ shewed that prussic acid had beenfofound in the perspiration, urine,; and expectoration, accounting

for the blue colour of theseliquids.Mr. DUPUY observed, that

’ cows fed in certain pastures gaveblue milk. M. VIREY quoted a,case where cows fed with theprunus padus, exhaled a verystrong smell of bitter almonds.The existence of prussic acidin the excrements of these ani-mals was ascertained by theexistence of the sulphate of iron.M. MARC related, that iri Ger-many some persons had beenpoisoned by eating sausages.in all of whom a great quantityof prussic acid was spontaneously

developed. ’

General Meeting of the 6th of