The Sun. — 1844-04-06 (London, England)

PARIS ACADEMY 0-F SCIENCES. SITTING OF MARCH 25. The important question of the nutritive or nonnutritive properties of gelatine again came before the academy. M. Gay Lussac, alluding to the communication which had been received from Amsterdam on this subject, expressed his astonishment that the commission of the Academy, which was appointed not less than fourteen years ago to make a report on this disputed question, had not yet come to a decision. M. Thenard, one of the members of the commission, stated, in reply to M. Gay Lussac, that he was fully sensible of the mission intrusted to him and his colleagues, and was not sorry that public allusion had been made to their inactivity. As far as he was personally concerned, he declared that no blame was due After a spirited discussion, it was decided by the Academy, that the commission should he called upon to make their report within a delay of three months. After the reading of several scientific papers, possessing little interest for the public at large, a communication was read from M. Goldsmith, of Gottingen, on the results of the new calculations which he has made for the purpose of rectifying the parabolic elements of the comet of M. Faye. These calculations accord with those originally made, in attaching to our planetary system this comet, which, in the most eccentric point of its orbit, is at a distance from the sun which does not exceed six times the circuit of the terrestrial orbit. The Academy, having been invited by the Minister of War to renew the annual commission of three members to take part in the labour,.; of the Conseil de Perfectionnement of the Polyt(A bale School, reelected MM. Poinsot and Thenard, and appointed M. Poncelet to replace M. Arago. Previously to the ballot, M. Arago informed his colleagues that he would no longer corm part of the Commission, on account of the determination of the Minister to modify the constitution of the school, contrary to the formal opinion of himself and his colleagues. A communication was received t*: om M. Dupuits Delcourt and M. Maret Monce, relative to the new copper balloon which they are constructing. The chief merit of their invention is sail to be the means of remaining longer in the air than with a balloon made of silk, as they say that their copper balloon would offer a resistance to the obstacles which prevent a long sojourn in the air with the ordinary balloon. We know not how far these gentlemen may be correct, but some of the members of the Academy seemed to be of opinion that as the copper balloon is made necessarily of thin sheets, there will be danger of rupture at the joints. MM. Natalis, Guillot, and Melsims made a communication on the use of iodure of potassium in the cure of persons affected with saturnine maladies. They say that they have administered it with the most decided success. The dose is gradually raised to four and even six grammes per day, and from 200 to 300 grammes in the whole suffice for a•cure. A paper was received from M. Charrier on the use of opium in medicine. The author states all the cases in which the use of opium is regarded as salutarj or injurious; and, in allusio.i to the general notion that it should never be administered in inflammatory cases, mentions some exceptions in which it may be given with great benefit to the patient. In most cases where inflammation is not present he regards it as an invaluable medicine. M. Guinant laid on the bureau of the academy a lens of flint glass twenty itichts in diameter, the largest that now exists. M. Arago stated that the telescope of Pulkowa, the largest in any observatory, is only fourteen inches in diameter. M. Andral read an interesting memorial from M. Demazy, on suicides committed in the arrondissement of Mans during the twelve years from 1830 to 1842. From his observations it appeared that, in this space of time, eighty-seven persons destroyed themselves, and of these sixty-six were men, and twenty-one women. The greater number took place on a Mon' day morning, during full moon, and in the day-time. The ages of the suicides ranged from thirty to sixty. ' Most of the individuals were married, and had pre, ' viously shown symptoms of mental alienation. Debauchery and other bad habits were in most cases the exciting causes.