142

Intelligence in Literature, and the Arts and Sciences. [March 1,

West Riding of Yorkshire, given in the 17th volume of the Archæologia.

Mr. JOSEPH SAMS, of Darlington, has in his possession an original, ancient, and complete Manuscript of the Pentateuch, of which the following history is given. During the late wars on the Continent a Jewish family oropulence, to which there is reason to believe it to have belonged above 800 years, being reduced to utter ruin and compelled to emigrate, came to Holland; where as their last resource they were obliged to pledge this venerated manuscript of their law. As it was not redeemed by the appointed time it was sold by the person with whom it was deposited, and recently brought to England. It is believed to be from 14 to 1500 years old; it is of leather, forming two volumes about two feet wide and 69 in length. Each sheet is divided into pages, 5 inches in width, the letters being very large and excellently written. It is thought to be an unique, as well as the most ancient copy of the five books of Moses in existence.

Mr. J. W. Eny is engraving in aquatinta, a Series of Designs for Shop Fronts, Entrances to Cottages, Villas, &c. from the Designs of Mr. W. DAVI SON, architect, at whose house in Lamb's Conduit-street, specimens may be inspected.

Mr. CHITTY will speedily publish a Treatise on the Criminal Law of EngJand, with a copious Collection of Precedents, in 3 vols roval 8vo.

Mr. Boosty, of Broad-street, is preparing an extensive Catalogue of German publications recently imported by him, including many works of high curiosity and interest. It will be ready for delivery in a few few days.

Mr.J.H.L HUNT has nearly ready for publication The Story of Rimini, a poem. A Narrative of a Journey to London in 1814, or a Parallel of the English and French, preceded by some Observations on the London Hospitals, by PHILIBERT JOSEPH ROUX, Professor of Surgery and Anatomy at Paris, will appear in a few

days in one 8vo. volume.

The Rev. Dr. HAWKER has nearly completed his valuable Commentary on the Old and New Testaments with the Text at large. Part 37 is just publish ed, and the work will not make more than 40 Parts. An edition of a smaller size, without the Text, is also published at a very moderate price.

In the last number of Dr. THOMSON'S Annals of Philosophy, a correspondent

calls the attention of the public to the
present neglected state of the Mathema-
tical Sciences in Great Britain.
proof of the little attention paid to such
pursuits, he relates that 400 copies of
Taylor's Logarithmic Tables constructed
under the direction of the Board of Lon-
gitude, and a great number of the Sexa-
gesimal Tables of the same author are
now deposited for stowage in an old
windmill on the borders of one of the
lakes in Westmoreland, whither they were
lately removed by the author's nephew,
as there was not a sufficient demand for
them to pay for warehouse-room and in-
surance while in London.

Dr. MERRIMAN, Physician-Accoucheur to the Middlesex Hospital, and Consulting Physician-Accoucheur to the Westminster General Dispensary, is delivering a Course of Lectures on Midwifery at the former Institution.

Mr. CLARKE will commence his next Course of Lectures on Midwifery aud the Diseases of Women and Children, at the Lecture-room, Saville-row, on Monday, March 18th. The Lectures are read every morning from a quarter past ten to a quarter past eleven, for the convenience of students attending the hospitals.

Sir HUMPHRY DAVY has prosecuted his useful labours for the benefit of mi ners, as detailed in our last, and farther experiments have enabled him to improve upon the invention there described. Their results were submitted by their distinguished Author to the Royal Society in two papers read on the 11th and 25th of January.

"Since the paper and the Appendix have been printed," says he, "the consideration of the principle has led me to a discovery which appears the most important in the whole progress of these researches.

"When I found that explosive mixtures admitted through narrow metallic canals brought in contact with flame, burnt only at the surface where they issued, I had hopes of keeping up a constant flame from explosive mixtures issuing from tubes or canals; but on trying this, even in atmospherical air, it failed.

Conceiving that the failure was owing sides of the canal, it occurred to me to try to the great cooling powers of the metallic the metallic wire-flame sieves, and with these I had perfect success.

"I inclosed a very small lamp in a cylinder made of wire gauze having 6400 apertures in the square inch. I closed all apertures except those of the gauze, and introduced the lamp burning brightly within the

1816.]

Sir H. Davy on Improvements in his Safe-Lamps.

cylinder into a large jar containing several quarts of the most explosive mixture of gas from the distillation of coal and air; the flame of the wick immediately disappeared, or rather was lost, for the whole of the interior of the cylinder became filled with a feeble but steady flame, of a green colour, which burnt for some minutes, till it had entirely destroyed the explosive power of the atmosphere.

"This result, so satisfactory, immediately led to a number of experiments which gave results, if possible, still more satisfactory.

"I introduced the lamp inclosed in the cylinder, at different times, into large quantities of various explosive mixtures, some containing only one volume of coal-gas to four of air, and others containing one of coal-gas to thirteen of air. In all cases the flame was confined to the cylinder, and in all of them it continued till the mixture ceased to be explosive.

"In mixtures of thirteen, twelve, and eleven, parts of air to one of coal-gas, the flame of the taper did not disappear; it became paler, however, and blended with the flame of the explosive mixture filling the cylinder. As the quantity of the inflammable air diminished, the flame became limited to the wick, and was gradually extinguished. When there was as much as one of coal-gas to seven or eight of air, the flame of the taper was lost at first in the flame of the explosive mixture, which was very bright; but it appeared as the mixture became less explosive.

"When the coal-gas was one to four or five, the flame of the wick never appeared in any part of the experiment; and the light of the flame from the mixture was weaker than in the other experiments.

"In taking the wire cylinder and its lamp out of the explosive mixture, the flame of the lamp continued to burn in the atmosphere.

"In all the experiments the flame of the explosive mixture in the cylinder had more or less of a greenish cast, which is probably to be attributed to the effects of the brass wire.

"In one instance, in which a very large wick was burnt in a very small cylinder, the wire gauze became red hot opposite to the wick at the first moment of the introduction of the cylinder into an atmosphere consisting of about one of coal-gas and eleven of air; but it soon lost this temperature: and in other experiments made with smaller wicks, in a dark room, I have seldom seen the wire dull red but as no explosion ever took place in an atmosphere made explosive by coal-gas, the circumstance, will hold good with much more certainty of the fire-damp.

"I own I expected an explosion in the instance when I saw the wire gauze red hot; but the mass of heated matter was probably

143

too small to heat considerably the portion of gas in contact with it, and the cool air must have entered principally at this part of the wire-gauze cylinder, and must speedily have reduced the temperature; and I have since found that a red hot wire of less than the one-thirtieth of an inch does not explode mixtures of coal-gas and air.

"When I took the wire gauze lamp out of the most explosive mixture before it had consumed much of the inflammable gas, the mixture usually was explosive by the flame of the taper; but the explosive power of a mixture of twelve or thirteen parts of air to one of gas was very soon destroyed by the combustion in the cylinder lamp; and even when it was withdrawn almost imme. diately, the taper burnt in the mixture merely with an enlarged flame.

"It is needless to dwell upon the practical applications of these facts; many of them will be immediately perceived. Wire gauze may be substituted for horn or glass in the safe-lanterns or safe-lamps to be used in the collieries, and no air-feeders below the flame will be necessary. The wire gauze admits a free circulation of air, and it emits considerably more light than common horn. I have had small cylindrical caps of wire gauze made to fit small lamps by a screw, which are almost as portable as a common candle without a candle-stick; and which are trimmed and supplied with oil through safe apertures without the necessity of taking off the cap. A similar cap may be used with the common candles of the colliers introduced by an aperture made tight with moist pipe-clay.

"Brass wire gauze of the proper degree of fineness is manufactured for the use of inills and for sieves. I found gauze which con tained 2600 apertures in a square inch sufficiently fine to prevent explosion used as a cylinder; but it did not bear the proof of a concentered explosion from a close glass vessel. Gauze of 5000 apertures to the square inch stood, however, this severe test. I have generally used gauze of 6400 apertures; and I have seen plated wire gauze, which, I am told, is sold at Edinburgh, so fine that the square inch contains 13,200 apertures.

"I have tried cylinders of the size necessary for the colliers, in explosive atmospheres contained in large glass vessels; the light given by a cylinder of seven inches high and two inches in diameter in the fire damp mixed with twelve of air, is nearly as bright as that of the lamp in common air, and even the least brilliant flame would enable the miner to find his way, and, I think, would be sufficient for him to work by when he was very near it. The light is much increased by hanging within, from the top of the cylinder, a small cage of platina, or iron wire; this becomes ignited by the flame, and gives a steady red light in the midst of it;

144

Sir H. Davy on Improvements in his Safe-Lamps. [March 1,

and I have never had an explosion in employing it.

"The cheapness of the wire gauze safe Jamps or guards for candles, will be an additional reason for bringing them into common use; for the dearest of them can hardly cost more than one shilling.

"They have the advantage of guarding the light from loose materials falling from the roof of the mine; there is no danger of their being broken; and to prevent them from being bent they may be covered with a frame without, constructed of a few pieces of thick wire. The gauze should be made into the form of cylinders by double joinings sewn together through the double pait by a ware of small diameter; any aperture larger than that of the gauze wire should be most carefully guarded against, and the cylinders should be tried in a vessel filled with an explosive mixture before they are used in the mine. A coating of oxide is soon formed upon the brass; but in my limited experience this has appeared to defend the interior from the action of air, and to render the wire durable: if, however, it should be found that this does not hold good in the mines, thicker or plated wire may be adopted, or double cylinders, or, at all events, as the top of the cylinder is principally exposed to heat, this may be double.

"With the wire safe lamp or guarded candle the miner may explore all parts of the mine where explosive mixtures exist, and the state of the flame will shew him the degree of contamination of the air. As the fire-damp mixes with the air the flame will enlarge. When the fire-damp has reached its explosive point his cylinder will be filled with flame; but the flame of his wick will appear within the flame of the fire-damp. As the inflammable gas increases in quanrity the flame of the lamp will disappear, and the flame in his cylinder will become paler; and this ought to be a signal to him to leave that part of the workings. For when the flame of the fire-damp is extinguished, though the air may be sufficiently respirable for him to make good his way, yet it cannot be breathed safely for any time.

"I found that sparks from steel and flint fell red, and without scintillation, in a mixture of coal-gas in which a cylinder lamp had burnt out; and they appeared equally dull and red in a mixture of three parts of air and one part of coal-gas; so that the light of a steel mill would not be sufficient to work by in an atmosphere in which the cylinder lamp was extinguished, and it could only be employed to guide the miner out of an atmosphere which it would be fatal to breathe for a continuance,

"To conclude there appears every reason to expect that the safe light, in this state of improvement, with proper attention, will

enable the miner to work with perfect security in parts of the mines most liable to fire-damp, and that it will not only preserve him from, but enable him to combat and subdue, his most dangerous enemy. Confined in the wire-gauze safe-lamp, the flame of the fire-damp will be divested of all its terrors, and made to expend energies formerly so destructive, in producing an useful light.

NOTE.

"A considerable degree of heat is always produced by the combustion of the explosive fi:e-damp in the wire-gauze cylinders; therefore a candle soon melts away in the lantern, when the fire-damp is burning in it; and if candles are used with the wire gauze safeguard, the flame of the fire-damp should be extinguished by putting a woollen or linen. extinguisher over the cylinder, to prevent the candle from dropping out, or the candle should be secured in the bottom of the lantern, by a safety screw: where, the firedamp is known to exist, it will, however, always be better to work with small lamps, which may be fed with tallow; and where the object is to destroy the fire damp speedily, a large cylinder lamp with double wiregauze may be used.

"The joinings in the lamps should be made rather with hard than soft solder, and there should always be a handle at the bottom, or a ring at the top, to prevent the hand from being burnt.

"The flame of the fire-damp in the cylinders may be easily extinguished by a cover made of coarse paper, or by a woollen cap, If any part of the wire is found to become strongly red hot, water may be thrown upon it, or the communication may be interrupted by plates of metal.

"Many devices may be contrived for giving light by the fire-damp; lamps may be made partly of glass and partly of wiregauze and by making a chimney partly of metal, the fire-damp may be burnt only at certain surfaces.

"When the cylinder lamp is first introduced into an explosive atmosphere, a musical sound is produced, like that produced by hydrogen burning in narrow tubes.

"I have since found that the size of the apertures may be carried to 900 in a square inch, and that the wire may be 1-70th of an inch in thickness, and these probably are not the limits. The larger the apertures of the wire-gauze the greater the heat produced, and the more brilliant the flame, so that, with very coarse wire gauze it will be proper to interrupt too free a circulation of air by using a tin plate cylinder which will act as an extinguisher, either for a part or the whole of the flame; and for security, it may be proper to adopt double wire cylinders; perhaps iron wire will be better than brass. It will be easy by various means to

Nego Publications, with Critical Remarks.

NEW PUBLICATIONS IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY, WITH CRITICAL REMARKS.

146

New Publications, with Critical Remarks.

[March 1.

in our opinion; established a case of very aggravated advantage was taken. The establishment of the injury and hardship.

African Institution and the formation of a settlement at Sierra Leone not only imposed upon the credulity and philanthropy of the nation at large, but soon deceived the watchful guardians of the state, and led them to countenance proceedings injurious to good faith and detrimental to the revenue. At length, the selfish and hypocritical character of this association became suspected, through the cupidity and tyranny of some of its measures. But though it was confessed that the conduct of the institution at home and the progress of the settlement abroad had not fully answered the promises origiually made and the expectations generally entertained, still the good-natured public felt inclined to throw a veil over errors and to hope for better things. Time has proved that this generosity was imprudent, and that the hope was but a sickly dream of the imagination. Fauatics, who combine craft with enthusiasm, are never shamed by exposure nor reformed by correction. The body in question, instead of making an inge nuous confession, and of submitting with becoming humility to the judgment of intelligent persons, make a bold push to hold the sway which has been so unjustly obtained and unworthily managed. A bill is now to be introduced into parliament for the registry of all the slaves in our West India colonies, which if carried will at once sweep away all the private rights of the settlers in those islands, and completely destroy the privileges which the colonists have enjoyed of regulating their own internal concerns, and of legislating for themselves in matters of a purely municipal nature. The work which now lies before us not only lays open in detail the abominable iniquity of this measure, as affecting the persons who will be immediately oppressed by it, but shews incontrovertibly that it must end either in the entire ruin of the colouies or a separation of them from the - parent state. It is evident that this pamphlet is drawn up by one who has a very minute acquaintauce with our West Indian possessions, nor less with the history of the African Institution, the true character of which is there exhibited from the offices of government or the reports of the committee. We shall close our account of this valuable and most seasonable performance, by extracting the warning with which it terminates.

This ingenious quarto contains seventy-two pages of letter-press, and two excellent copper plates. It is from the pen of an experienced medical man, who combines with his profession a rare extent of learning and of natural knowledge. The flies of the genus of Oestrus are vexatious to horses, oxen, sheep, and deer. Their larvæ, or caterpillars, are parasitical, within the living bodies of those animals. In some instances they infest the stomach, in others the cavities of the nostrils, or under the skin of various parts. Mr. Clarke gives a rational derivation of the word "Bot" from the French Bout, and traces its usage in many examples where the end or bottom of tirings is to be denoted. This work embraces a copious history of those insects through all their stages, and in the several kinds of quadrupeds where they commit depredations. An unusual display of elegant and classical research illustrates the subject, and every line of the writer breathes modesty and humanity. In des scribing the natural habits of the Oestrus it does not appear that they are, in any of their stages, 20 noxious as it is vulgarly supposed. Indeed, Mr. Clarke supposes the Oestrus as ordained by Nature to perform good offices to all the creatures which they live upon. This is, however, an apparent Stretch of benevolence, because it does not alwayst occur that good effects (according to the limited rules of human reason) attend the courses of nature. The predatory ravages of the animal king dom cannot be so esteemed. But when that sys tem of destruction is coupled with the consequent increased scope of creation, we see the Lecessity for a rapid succession of individuals, in order to maintain and to multiply the countless numbers of living beings. If we dare to ask the why and wherefore of this system, we receive no reply. The majestic fiat of Providence wants uo apology, nor needs the feeble explanations of our intellect.' It is wise. It is good.

Medical Transactions of the Royal College of Physicians of London. Vol. V. 12s.

Treatise on Rheumatism and Rheumatic Affections, with Domestic Methods of Cure. By Wm. Hickman. 1s. 6d.

MISCELLANEOUS.

Thoughts on the Abolition of the Slave Trade, and Civilization of Africa; with Remarks on the African Institution, and an Examination of the Report of their Committee, recommending a general Registry of Slaves in the British West India Islands. Svo. 4s. 6d.

This is a most important publication, which ought to be seriously examined by every person who has the interests and honour of the British empire at heart. A destructive spirit of fauaticism has long been increasing in this country, and succeeded in multiplying the means of mischief under specious pretences of public good. Among other Jaudable acts which have been rendered instru inental in some degree to the promotion of the Josuitical objects of the party actuated by this spirit, the abolition of the slave trade was one that presented an opportunity of procuring power and patronage, and of which consequently every

"The African Institution, like other public bodies, must be judged of. not from the character of the individual members, but from the acts done in their collective capacity. Considering them in this point of view, enough has been said to shew that they have made no scruple of suppressing truth, in › order to promote their views, or support their popularity: that by assuming the exercise of oth cial functions, and sending out instructions to the officers of his Majesty's navy, and the courts of vice-admiralty, they have provoked the resentment of foreign powers, and brought expense and disho nour upon the uation; that they have employed their parliamentary influente and excitions in car. rying measures calculated to promote the pecuniary emolument of individual members of their own body; that while they profess philanthropy. they practice hatred, malice, and all manner of uncharitableness, in misrepresenting the motives and calumniating the character of the whole West India population; that by their intemperate publications they influence the minds of the slaves against the white inhabitants; that they now urge parlament to measures which cannot but term. nate in the nost serious evils both to the mother country and the colonies; and that in their zeal for humanity, they forget both justice and policy,