An Account of Glasses of a New Contrivance, for Preserving Pieces of Anatomy or Natural History in Spirituous Liquors, by Claud. Nic. le Cat. M. D. F. R. S. Royal Demonstrator in Anatomy and Surgery at Roan

Size of a large Nutmeg; and, being felt by the Finger, was hard. About a Fortnight before the Discharge, some white Specks appeared; upon which it was supposed that Matter was gathering; and being still hard, a common Poultice of white Bread and Milk was applied, and then it presently dislodged itself, without any Application, and left the Patient ever since free from Complaint. I was obliged to the Rev. Mr. Chauncy, the Husband of the Patient, for this Account. III. An Account of Glasses of a new Contrivance, for preserving Pieces of Anatomy or Natural History in spirituous Liquors, by Claud. Nic. le Cat. M. D. F. R. S. Royal Demonstrator in Anatomy and Surgery at Roan. Translated from the French by T. S. M. D. F. R. S. Read Jan. 19. THOSE who have Collections of Anatomy, or Natural History, and preserve Animals, Vegetables, or any of their Parts, in spirituous Liquors, are sensible how expensive it is to supply the Waste of these Spirits, which evaporate considerably. Having in 1739. begun to make a Collection of this sort, it was not long before I felt the Necessity I was under of contriving some kind of Vessel, or some way of closing the common Glasses, which might prevent, or at least diminish the Quantity of, this Evaporation. After After trying several Methods, which did not fully satisfy me, I fixed upon the Glass, which is represented in the annexed Figures, Tab. I. Fig. 1. and 2. Its Difference from the common ones consists in having, quite round the Edge of its Orifice, a circular Groove or Chanel, Fig. 2. AA, an Inch deep for the smaller Sizes, and two Inches for the larger. This circular Groove is intended to receive a Border, BB, of the same Figure on the Cover C: In the middle of the Concavity of this Cover is a double Hook, on which the Threads are to be fastened, which suspend the Piece or Preparation that is to be put into the Glass. In putting the Piece into the Glass, which contains the preserving Liquor, Care must be taken to place it on the Hooks in the same Position, which you intend it should keep in the Glass: That done, you are to pour Oil, or Quicksilver, which is better, into the circular Groove AA, so as to make it about half-full. Then you are to let down the Piece into the preserving Liquor; and when it is entirely sunk down, the Cover C ought to light upon the Glass, and its circular Border BB, enter into the circular Groove AA, where it falls into the Oil or Quicksilver, which rises up and fills the whole Groove; by which means the Glass is in some measure hermetically sealed. The Oil indeed permits some small Evaporation; the Quicksilver more completely answers the End of this Invention, but it is more expensive. As I had contrived this Glass for my own private Use, I neglected making it public; till, happening to be present at the public Meeting of the Academy of of Sciences of Paris, at Easter 1746, I heard Mr. de Reaumur read a Memoir on this Subject. My Glass seem'd to me vastly preferable to the Vessels proposed by that great Academician. This Incident rouzed my Emulation, and gave me the better Opinion of my Glass, a Pattern of which I sent to M. Morand. The same Motive engages me to take the Advantage of the Freedom of Correspondence re-established between France and England, in sending this Description to the Royal Society. IV. Observationes aliquæ astronomicae à Reve- rendo P. P. Suarez è S. J. in Paraquaria habitæ, et per D. Suarez M. D. cum Soc. Regali communicatæ. Presented Jan. 19. ANNIO 1747, Februarii 24, post meridiem, nubilo coelo toto fere tempore eclipsis Lunæ, hæc tantum observari potuerunt in missionibus Paraquaria Soc. Jes. à P. Bonaventura Suarez, ejusdem Soc. missionario, in oppido Sancti Angeli Custodis, post emersionem secundi digiti Lunæ ex umbra Terræ, telescopio ped. 10½. | Event | Time | |------------------------|--------| | Aristarchus emergit | 14 31 47 | | Tycho emergit | 14 37 30 | | Calippus emergit | 14 56 47 | | Dionysius emergit | 15 0 4 | | Marc Cris. incipit emerge | 15 13 17 | | Finis Eclipse | 15 16 4 | Intercapedinem of all sorts of Lengths and Bigness, in short, of all the Shapes which the different Cases may require. I have the Honour to be, &c. Rome, May 20. 1748. N.S. Le Cat. Addition to the Description of the Glasses for preserving things in Spirit of Wine, by Dr. le Cat, pag. 6. In using the Bottle, of which I have given a Description, I found that it was attended with one Inconvenience. The circular Groove, the Edge of which was turn'd up on the Inside of the Bottle, retained a small Quantity of the Water, when I emptied and rinsed it; so that it was impossible to do it thoroughly. Wherefore I caused this Vessel to be made, as represented in the annexed Figure, Tab. I. Fig. 1. which is a Section of it; and where it appears that the Groove AA is placed on the Outside of the Edge of the Bottle. By this means every Drop of the contain'd Fluid can be pour'd out. It is easy to see that the circular Border BB of the Cover is to enter into these Grooves AA, which are fill'd with Oil or Quicksilver; and that the Hook C, of the same Cover, is destined to suspend in the Liquor such Pieces as are to be preserved in it.