On the Muriatic Ether. » 101 



diameter than those now made, might be bored with much 

 more ease and rapidity ; and those only who know the labou]* 

 and tediousness of the operation, besides ihe great expense 

 of tools in hard siliceous rocks, can justly appreciate the 

 value of such an improvement. I have not yet been fur^- 

 nished with the means of making any trial of this plan, but 

 1 hope before long to have it in my power. 



1 have troubled you at some length on this subject ; but 

 as it is one with which is connected the safety of several 

 thousand men in this kingdom alone, and when it is con- 

 sidered, as I have heard from good authority, that the annual 

 expense of gunpowder for the mines in Cornwall and Devon 

 amounts to more than 30,000/., it becomes an object worthy 

 discussion, if means therefrom should arise of lessening the 

 risk to the workmen or of cost to the mines, particularly 

 in the present distressing state to which they are reduced 

 from the very low price at which the metals are now sold. 

 I am, sir, your most obedient servant, 



John Taylor, Engineer. 



Holwell House, Devon, 

 Dec. 1, 1807. 



XXrit. 'Itxtfact of a Memoir vpon ihe Murinfic Ether, as 

 read at the French Instiiidey 17 ih of Fehiiary, 1S07. 

 %M. 7i«kNARD*. 



-After havins; examined why the muriatic ether has hi- 

 therto remained almost unknown among chemists, although 

 frequently the object of chemical experiments, the author 

 ^ives the method of obtaining it. For this purpose, as the 

 above ether is habitually in the state of gas, tHe following 

 apparatus must be employed ; 



We put in a retort barely capable of containing the mix- 

 ture, an equal part in volume of highly concentrated nuiriatic 

 acid and alcohol at 36''; we shake thtm welj, in order to 

 bring all their molecules in contact. . This beinc; done, we 

 throw into the retort seven or eight grains of sand, in order 

 t.o avoid the boiling up, which, without this precaution, 



* Antif df Clauir, lom. Ixi. p. 'J90. 



t? 3 miu;ht 



