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correfpondents who can inform me, through your Magazine, of the process of making glue in London or the Borough; as the procefs is little known, they will be fo obliging as to give me the minutiae of the fubject. I would also wish to be favoured through the fame channel (your Magazine) with the method obferved in the manufacture of English Verdigrife, and where it is made? I fhall alfo be obliged to any who can favour me with the mode obferved in making German Steel. Your's, &c. Newcastle, July 30, 1799.

MUNNOO.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

I

SIR,

BEG leave, through the medium of your Magazine, to point out to Dr. Turton how very erroneous his opinion is refpecting the origin of the Variola Vaccinæ, or Cow-Pox. If Dr. Turton had attentively read Dr. Jenner's two publications upon that important fubject, he muft, I conceive, have been convinced, upon the clearest evidence, that the small-pox is not the fource from whence the cow-pox fprings; but agree with Dr. Jenner in the more rational conjecture, that the latter is the parent of the former; for if we examine the third case mentioned by Dr. Jenner in his first publication, we fhall find the cow-pox to have exifted, and to have been known, before the inoculation for the fmall-pox was introduced into practice in this ifland. It would be unreafonable to fuppofe that perfons labouring under fo dreadful a malady as the natural smallpox, at a time when no means were difcovered to mitigate the malignancy of the difeafe, thould be employed to milk cows at a dairy. Dr. Turton forms his opinion from the cow-pox having twice appeared among the cows a fhort time after the fall-pox had been in the family. It was fingular that it fhould fo happen; but thefe two Tolitary inftances are but a flight bafis to build a new hypothefis upon.

It is poffible that variolous virus inferted into the nipples cf a cow might produce inflammation and fuppuration; and that matter from fuch a fore might produce fome local affection on the human fubject by inoculation. But all this tends only to fhew, what was well known before, that virus taken from one ulcer is capable of producing another by its being inferted into any other part of the body.

With regard to the fuppofition of the cow-pox becoming fmall-pox after repeated inoculations, I fall only remark, that I have feen the difcafe pafs fucceffively

through upwards of thirty perfons without the smallest alteration either in its appearance or effect.

I should not have made any remarks on Dr. Turton's letter, for I think (fo far as it relates to the cow-pox) it ftands feltconfuted, but only as I thought it calculated to fake the confidence of fomne perfons, whofe care and anxiety for the prefervation of their tender offspring might induce them to fubftitute fo mild a difeafe as the cow-pox, for one fo violent in its nature as the fmall-pox.

The Doctor will excufe me for offering him a word of advice; which is, to be cautious (as he appears to be perfectly unacquainted with the habits of the difeafe) not to produce a fpurious kind of cowpox, and fend it abroad into the world under an idea of its being the genuine. I remain, &c. G. C. J.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

ONE

NE of the Monthly Magazines of about a year back or more (not having the number by me, I cannot precifely fay) mentioned that a collection of Latin Poems, written by various perfons, natives of Scotland, was made by a clergyman, with a view of convincing the world, that the Scots have furpaffed all other nations in writing Modern Latin Poetry; and which would in a fhort time be publifhed. If any of your readers can inform me whether the work is printed, or likely to be fo, they will oblige, Sir,

Your humble Servant,

August 21, 1799*

GEORGE FABRICIUS.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

EADING the Philofophical Maga

Rzine for laft month (July), I obferved that Dr. Mitchell, of Philadelphia, fays, that in falting meat a decompolition takes place in this manner: The feptic acid of the meat unites itself with the foda of the falt; and the muriatic acid of the falt unites itfelf with the meat. Here then are two new fubftances, viz.

Muriate of flesh (falt meat); and
Septate of foda (brine).

And here arife two queries, whofe answers may lead to fome difcoveries useful to fociety.

ift, Does this decomposition take place because the affinity of the muriatic acid to the flesh is greater than it is to the foda?

ad, Or is it because the affinity of the

feptic

feptic acid to the foda is greater than it is to the flesh?

On fuppofing the former to be the cafe, it is potible that potah may have a greater affinity to the muriatic acid than the fleth (though the foda had not), and of curfe difengage it therefrom, forming a muriate of potash, and leaving the flesh entirely fresh, good, and potable, notwithstanding its having been already deprived of its feptic acid by falting in the

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SIR,

R. DERHAM in the preface to his

Rift infiance. I think Dr. Mitchell fays M Atrotheology fays, I remember

the feptic acid is unwholefome; if fo, the meat may be all the better for being deprived of it.

On fuppofing the latter query to be the cafe, it is clear that potath would have the defired effect; fince (by our fuppofition) the affinity of the muriatic acid to the flesh cannot be fo great as it is to foda (and it is well known that it is greater to potash than to foda), its union therewith having been a work of neceflity, it having had nothing elfe wherewith to unite after the formation of the brine (or feptate of foda).

Again, on fuppofing the latter query, would not foda frefhen the falt meat, i. e. would it not decompofe the muriate of fleth (which is falt-meat, agreeably to our hypothefis; or, in other words, it is meat deprived of its feptic acid, and combined with muriatic acid)? I think it would, because it is fuppofed there is no more feptic acid in the flesh; of courfe, the muriatic acid, whofe affinity to the flesh, as before noted, is not very great, would quit it, and feize the foda, leaving the flesh entirely freth, &c. as before, with the potafl.

Had I the time and conveniences, I fhould make thefe experintents; but as I have not, I hope to fee the refult given by fome of your correfpondents: and fhould if be found that neither potah nor foda will produce the effect of extracting the muriatic acid from falt meat, fo as to render it agreeably potable, could not there be found fome other fubftance which would have the effect?

Now my hand is in, I have a word to tell your correfpondent who wishes to know what can be done with his horfechefnuts. Some time ago I had accefs to a very large library of French bocks, where I faw a little book, whofe title, as well as I can remember, was "Les Secrets des Arts. I there faw feveral ways of employing the horse-chefnuts to advantage; yet I am doubtful whether any of them be practifed in France, notwithstanding a

that I once verily thought I had found out feven fatellites of Saturn with this glafs of Mr. Huygens, fo regularly were they placed in refpect to Saturn."-As Saturn feven fatellites, may it be fuppofed that is now known to be accompanied with firft difcoverer of them?-It is true that Mr. D. faw them? and if fo, was he the after obfervation, that five were fixed he adds, he had reafon to fuppofe from

ftars.

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DR. MITCHILL'S THIRD LETTER ON ALKALIES, TO MISS A.

My amiable Margaretta!

D'

On ex

URING the very pleasant excurfion Mrs. M, yourself and Mrs. C-made to the falls near the town of Patterson, in the fate of New Jersey, a few days ago, you recollect we vifited the fpot where the copper-mine, on the neck of land between the Hackinfack and Pafaick rivers had been worked. amining famples of the ore, you admired very much the heaviness of fome pieces, and the green, blue and variegated colours of others. But nothing attracted your attention fo much as the beautiful and cryftallized fpars which had been drawn from the mine with the maffes of ore. The regular and elegant forms of thefe mineral productions were fo ftriking and curious, that you obtained from me a promife, I would give you fome further ac, count of the earth of which they confifted, on our return to New-York.

This I

purpose

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purpose now to do, as I have fufficiently refted fince I delivered the Oration on the anniversary of American Independence to the Citizens of New-York, on the 4th inftant.

The earthy matter compofing the cryf. tals you admired fo much, is principally of that kind called by MEN OF SCIENCE calcareous. It resembles very nearly the lime of which fo much ufe is made in conftructing and cleaning houses. The proof of which is, that by proper management fuch a kind of terrene fubftance may be produced from them. Lime or calcareous earth is capable of being diffolved in water, of being precipitated from its folution and of combining with various acids, whereby it affumes according to circumftances a great variety of forms, fuch as marbles, alabafters, lime-ftones, fluors, corals, fhells, chalks, and cryftals of different fhapes, hues and fizes.

Lime however, though fo much the fubject of admiration in its crystallizations, is more the object of wonder on account of its antiseptic power, whereby it preferves animal and vegetable fubftances from corruption, and perpetuates their remains longer than any other material with which we are acquainted. Bodies thus furrounded by lime and afterwards hardened to ftone are called petrifactions; and these petrifactions exhibit the most ancient remains of organized beings that are to be found on the globe we inhabit. Mummies and other pieces of embalming are of a very modern date compared to them, as you obferved in the Egyptian pieces I fhowed you. These are more eafily fubject to crumbling and decay, while thofe are as durable as the hills which they compofe. This antifeptic quality of lime is alluded to very philofophically in Mr. SARGENT'S dramatic poem, which I faw lately in your hand, (The Mine, p. 29, & 30.) where queen of the gnomes and her attendant fpirits thus fing of the power of petrifaction, perfonified under the name of FOSSILIA:

the

Where the fanguine corals fhine,
In a dripping fea-worn cave,
Let chill FOSSILIA recline

Watching the quick-circling wave:
As her tranflucent fhuttles glance,
The teffellated webs advance;
"Till nature refcued by her potent breath
Exults to perish and revives in death.

Her fplendid talisman can give Each plant and infect form to live; Gay birds ftill flutter tho' to marble grown, The deer's proud antlers branch in wrinkled ftone; MONTHLY MAG. No. L.

Impearl'd the scaly tortoife lies;
While the huge elephant fupplies
His ivory fpoil; and wreath'd in rocky fold
The crefted Snake convolves his maze of
gold.

Lime or calcareous earth prevents putrefaction by absorbing the water and neutralizing the feptic acid neceffary for that procefs. It is allowed by all, that moisture, which is but another term for a moderate quantity of water, is effential to putrefaction. It is equally well-known, that fuch animal and vegetable substances as contain fepton (azote) do afford by its aid, in convenient degrees of heat, feptic (nitric) acid; and the common experiment of decompounding the lean or mufcular part of animals by the agency of that acid, and obtaining thereby feptous (azotic) air proves that this four offspring of corruption, is a great destroyer of organic matter. The practice of corroding by feptous (nitrous) acid the folid parts of animal vifcera, after their injection with coloured wax, evinces to all makers of anatomical preparations beyond a scruple, how deftructive is the operation of a watery folution of oxygenated fepton.

Thus in the experiment of the chemist and diffector just mentioned, the feptic acid makes deftructive work upon dead bodies or their parts. So in the cafe of feptite of filver (lunar cauftic) applied as an efcharotic, to deftroy warts or proud flesh, the acid of putrefaction difengaged from the metal decompofes or eats away the living subftance. Both dead and living bodies, in this manner, yield to the deftroying influence of this acid which is engendered in the midst of corruption.

The attraction of the feptic acid by lime, and the formation of calcareous nitre thereby, is a common process in all places where thefe two materials come within the sphere of each other's action. Hence you can explain why human and other animal bodies buried in chalk and other forms of calcareous earth, last almost unchanged for many centuries. For the fame reafon, in fome vaults and fubterranean. repofitories of the dead, as in the catacombs near Rome and Naples, which you read of in the books of travels, the carcafes of the deceased, though they have lain within their cells a long time, remain to this day in a ftate of remarkable prefervation. And upon the fame principle, you may comprehend wherefore the corpfe of any of your departed friends will be well guarded against putrefaction by being furrounded by a coffin full of chalk; there 4 U

will

will be no neceflity of covering them with quick-lime.

I wish you would explain to the agriculturalifts, that they are mistaken in fuppofing lime to operate by promoting putrefaction in manures. The chief ac tion of that earth is to faturate acids, and in fo doing to form middle falts. When the feptic acid is thus attracted and combined, it forms an excellent fertilizer of foil; but can no longer exercife, as before, its diforganizing power on the materials of the dung-heap. In this manner, the lime around our country-houfes on Long Island affifted in blunting the acidity which with. cut its aid might have injured the poplars, willows and eglantines you and lately planted in their neighbourhood.

Ufe your influence, my dear girl, for mine I fear is not of confequence enough, with the officers of police and magiftrates of cities, to obtain an order for paving the streets of towns, and their fide-walk, with lime ftone, or fome convenient calcareous material, instead of the filicious flones and bricks now generally in ufe. You may urge to them the neceffity of having fomething to abforb the pernicious and peftilential acid of fepton; fo apt to be generated during hot fummers in the Atlantic cities of North America; and affure them that fuch foul places as Lisbon and Kilkenny are inftructive examples of the extraordinary falubrity of calcareous materials for ftreets and buildings. You may inform them that the calcareous bottoms of Curraçoa and of Grande-Terre in GuadeJoupe act most powerfully in preferving health, by abforbing the feptic acid produced in thefe tropical iflands. And convince them, if you can, that if fand-flone and brick must enter into the compofition of the dwelling houfes in New-York, that they ought not only to be cemented and plaiftered within with mortar of lime, But be rough caft on the outfile with a compofi, tion of the fame kind. Proclaim it aloud to all the people, that calcareous earth is plentifully afforded by a benevolent provi dence, to preferve man from the miafinata, as they are called, of peftilence, and if he neglects to employ it in the houtes and cities which he builds, and conftructs them of other and improper materials, he muft expect to fuffer in this, as in other cafes

where he treats the manifeftations of the diwing will with contempt. Where the furface of the earth is paved naturally with calcareous earth, peftilential difeates are mild or rare; what then do reafon and experience prompt to be done for guarding against their ravages, but to protect the

fettlements of men with an artificial paves ment of a fimilar material?

Tell the phyficians how lime-water has cured dyfenteries and ulcers, by moderating and blunting thofe corrofive fluids which, in both cafes, has been formed by a combination of fepton with oxygene, and either produced the refpective disorders originally, or perpetuated and made them worfe. Thus you may explain to them how crabs-eyes, prepared chalk, levigated coral, and other things of the fame kind work their good effects when internally adminiftered.

Re

It is very honorable to the fair fex, that they have long understood the practice of combating peftilence by calcareous earth, within their domeftic precincts. When they can perfuade the men (for I believe that after all the ladies muft convince them) to employ marble, lime fione, or fome other fimilar material for their boufes and pavements, and chalk to envelope the bodies of the dead, they will have accomplithed fome of the most important improvements in civilized fociety. joice with me that the lady who can effect thefe whole fome regulations fhall have, not merely a ftatue of marble, like APOLLO who flew Python, and HERCULES that killed Hydra, erected to her honour; but, what is of far greater value, fhall feel the confcioufnefs of having employed fcience fuccefsfully in the caule of benevolence. And rejoice alfo that these things, which have been hid from the wife and prudent, have been revealed unto babes-Do these things; for I can have no doubt, you fully participate my joy on another fubject, which is getting to the end of this uncommon fort of an epiftle; though I cannot finish it without declaring to you with what fentiments of tendernels and attachment I am yours,

SAMUEL L. MITCHILL. New-York, July 17th, 1799.

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ON THE NATIONAL CHARACTER OF THE DUTCH.*

THE

[From the manufcript Notes of a German.] HE first thing that offends a foreigner upon his entrance into Holland, is a certain indifference and coldnefs of manners. He hears none of thofe warm expreffions of kindness which in other countries are a part of good breeding, and which, though they coft little or nothing to the fpeaker, fo agreeably flatter thofe to whom they are addrefied: he witneffes none of thofe eager marks of esteem, friendship and folicitude, which indeed are feldom feriously meant; in fhort, none of what are generally confidered as the principal ingredients of politeness.

A ftranger, when he delivers his letters of introduction to a fashionable Hollander, will be difgufted by his cold and ceremonious reception of him: and feel himfelf compelled by the monofyllabic abruptnefs of his converfation immediately to enter upon the bufinefs which has brought him to Holland, and particularly occafioned that vifit. The Dutchman will then with due formality exprefs the fuggeftions of the moment, promife his affiftance, and then, pleading an immediate engagement, make an appointment at the exchange; the place of common refort for every kind of bufinefs: and our traveller may congratulate himself if he be now and then invited to his table (op un Kabbeljaarvitje or Tongotje) or in fummer to his country. houfe: as to every thing elfe, he is left entirely to himself, on the fuppofition, that at his hotel, or at fome coffee-houfe, he will meet with perfons who for a gratuity will point out to him what is worthy of obfervation in the town, or affift him in paffing away the time. Every vifit, not upon bufinefs, which he makes at the

The following notes were occafioned by reading a little work, "The familiar Letters of a Dane," and afterwards Riem's Travels through Holland." Among the many obfervations made by thefe travellers during their very rapid journey, arc fome precipitate and but half true. Against this error I am perhaps protected by a nine years' refidence in Holland, 'till the fpring of 1798. Befides, what will enfure credibility to my affertions, George Forfter, who of all travellers has most profoundly and accurately examined the character of the Dutch, as well as of other nations, and whofe "Views" I had the means of comparing with the following remarks, immediately after they were written, has in many points eftablished the fame conclufions. D. EINS.

house to which he was introduced, will difcover to him that he is an incumbrance both to the master of it and all his family.

On the other hand, civility and hofpitality generally prevail among the middle claffes of the people, in proportion as they are lefs defirous to imitate the higher orders. The anecdote in " Forfter's Views" of the landlord who pulled off his warm flippers to offer them to a traveller, is a ftriking reprefentation of the good difpofitions of the wealthy Dutch citizens ; however, the contraft between them and thofe of more fashionable life is not always fo remarkable. And, generally fpeaking, there is no country where humanity and civilization are more completely found among the middling claffes than in Holland; and even among the rich and fashionable in the smaller towns, if not at Amfterdam, an unaffuming civility and kindnefs are found in a confiderable degree.

A ftranger who has loft his way, or cannot find the place to which he is going, may venture to inquire of the first perfon he meets in the street, or ring at the next houfe, whether the door be open or fhut: The perfon addreffed will, if he can anyhow guefs his meaning, affift him with the greateft readiness, or if he does not underftand or cannot inform him, will call to fome one who is paffing by; fo that a ftranger may occafionally find himself furrounded by perfons, every one of whom is defirous of affifting him. And all this takes place without the leaft pretenfions or expectation of praife. It often happens that a perfon, obferving a stranger apparently ignorant of the town, will anticipate his inquiries and offer his fervice. It is never adviseable rudely to refufe any request whatever, as for inftance, to help a porter with a heavily laden wheel-barrow over a bridge. A man who was smoaking, before his door, was driven into the houfe by the hiffes of a mob, which foon collected, because he refufed to light the pipe of a day-labourer who was paffing by.

In other refpects, it is found here, particularly at Amfterdam, that in proportion to his rank and riches a man lofes his

natural goodness of difpofition; and suffers himlelf to be meanly and narrowly limited in every word and action by felfifh confiderations of profit and lofs. No perfons talk more about good-breeding, (bebeefdheid) or pride themfelves more upon it, than the Dutch: but their goodbreeding is nothing but a stiff and cold ceremonial comprehending fome half-dozen mighty points; one of the most important 4 U 2

of.

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