A 



JOURNAL 



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Natural philosophy, chemistry, 



AND 



THE ARTS. 



MARCH, 1804. 



ARTICLE L 



t)€fcription of a new Steam Digefierfor Philofophical Refearches* 

 By Sir A. N. Edelcrantz, Counfellor of the CJiancery, and 

 private Secretary to the King of Sweden ; Member of the 

 Szvedyh Academy, Sfc. SfC, Communicated by the Author* 



JL HE interelling and curious phenomena which this machine Excellence and 

 prefented, from its firfl: difcovery by l'>pin, have always ren- "5'','^^ °^f *' 

 dered it a defirable part of the chemical apparatus ; but the 

 difficulties and dangers attending its ufe, have, at the fame time^ 

 prevented its applications from being fo general, as the impor- 

 tance of the obje6l feemed to promife. Many, and fome of i 

 Ihem fuccefsful, attempts have been made to adapt this inftru- 

 went to economical and culinary ufes; but thefe being com- 

 monly limited within very few degrees of heat above the boiling 

 point, fuch digefters> though they can be ufed with fafety, are 

 at leaft inaccurate in the permanence, and uncertain in the 

 determination of the elafticity and heat of the vapours a6ling 

 in each experiment, which confequently cannot be either pre- 

 cife or comparable with others : and though feveral ingenious 

 philofophers, fuch as Watt, Betancourt, Smith of Geiflen, Van ImprovemenU - 

 Marum, &c. have in later times very much improved their 

 fcientific application, enough of imperfe6lion flill feems to 

 remain to prevent their general ufe, and to afford fufEcient fcop« 

 for. further improvements. 

 Vol. VIL—Mari^h, 1804. M As 



