1828.] Varieties. 



variance with this hypothesis, and he found, 

 upon trial, that when single rods were 

 made to approach a flame, the latter was 

 always inflected on all sides from the rod, 

 as if repelled by it; and that this effect 

 was independent of the conducting- power 

 of the rod, whether good or bad. The 

 amount of inflection or repulsion was di- 

 rectly as the mass, and inversely as the 

 distance from the flame. It was not di- 

 minished by increasing the temperature 

 of the rod even to such a degree as to 

 render it scarcely possible for it to ab- 

 gtract any of the caloric. In fact, when 

 two flames are made to approach each 

 other there is a mutual repulsion, although 

 their proximity increases the temperature, 

 instead of diminishing it. From these 

 principles, Sig. L. says, the theory of the 

 safety lamp is easily deduced. A metal- 

 lic wire exerting, according to its diame- 

 ter and its own nature, a constant repul- 

 sion upon flame, it is evident that two 

 parallel wires, so near each other as not 

 to exceed the distance of twice the radius 

 of the sphere of repulsion, will not permit 

 a flame to insinuate itself between them, 

 unless it be impelled by a force superior 

 to the intensity of repuls-ion. If to these 

 two wires others be added, a tissue is 

 formed impenetrable to flame, especially 

 when the conducting power of the wires 

 adds its influence to that of the repulsion. 

 He conceives that, from the views above 

 stated, the number of cross or horizontal 

 wires in Davy's lamp is unnecessarily 

 large; and that by rejecting all of these 

 excepting a number sufficient to secure 

 the firmness of the tisue, the lamp would 

 afford as great a security as at present, 

 and, at the same time, diffuse a muoh 

 greater light this opinion he has verified 

 by actual experiment. 



Animal Magnetism. A volume on this 

 subject has been published in Par.s, in the 

 form of letters, addressed to Professor 

 Alibert, by Dr. Amedee Dupau. The au- 

 thor has sought to demonstrate, not that 

 animal magnetism is nothing, but that it is 

 a different thing from what the magnetisers 

 suppose. He shows that magnetic phe- 

 nomena have existed at all times, and that 

 they present themselves to the observa- 

 tions of medical men in various nervous 

 and mental diseases. From all the facts 

 before him, the author deduces the follow- 

 ing conclusions: I. That magnetic ef- 

 fects are only nervous diseases under the 

 form of convulsions, extatic delirium, co- 

 matose sleep, somnambulism, &c. 2. That 

 magnetism developes these cerebral neu- 

 roses only in persons predisposed to these 

 affections. 3. That magnetism is a dan- 

 gerous process, since it tends to favour 

 the development of these diseases. 4. 

 That magnetism is still more dangerous in 

 its moral relations. Such are the principal 



91 



results of this work, which, by its mass 

 of facts, and the novelty of its views, must 

 very much contribute to extend a know- 

 ledge of the nature of animal magnetism. 



Ancient Armour. The antiquarian will 

 be astonished to hear, that there has been 

 discovered, about fifteen miles north of 

 Craftsbury, in the State of Vermont, North 

 America, a shirt, without sleeves, made of 

 wire, a little larger than that of the small 

 steel purses in fact, a real coat or shirt 

 of mail of (he ages of chivalry. It was 

 found in the valley of Black River, within, 

 the limits of the town of Coventry. It 

 was much rusted and decayed, but suffi- 

 cient of it remains to show its shape. 



ChinesePaper. Chinese paper, of which 

 so much use is now made in Europe, 

 chiefly for copper-plate impressions, is 

 distinguished by its homogeneous tex- 

 ture, its smooth and silky surface, its soft- 

 ness and extreme fineness. It is sold in 

 very large sheets, some of which are four 

 or five yards long, and a yard wide. The 

 Chinese fabricate their paper from diffe- 

 rent materials. In the province of Se- 

 Tschuen, it is made of hempen rags, like 

 the paper of Europe; that ofFo-Kiew, is 

 made of the young shoots of the bamboo; 

 that of the northern provinces, of the inner 

 bark of a tree called ku-tschu, which is 

 only the paper mulberry (morus papyri- 

 fera). It is this paper which is most com- 

 monly employed in China. They resort 

 to chemical solvents, and especially the 

 ley of ashes, to bring it to a soft pulp or 

 paste; and they make use of rice water 

 and other infusions to render it properly 

 consistent, and sufficiently moist and 

 white. 



Magnetic Polarity. From some mag- 

 netical experiments instituted at New 

 York, by Mr. Barnes, the following ca- 

 rious and interesting result has been de- 

 duced, viz. that a plane elevated from the 

 north, at an angle of 22 30', and cutting 

 the horizon in a line due east and west, 

 is a neutral plane or magnetical equator ; 

 and lhat a bar revolved on this plane 

 shows no polarity ; and if the bar make 

 with this plane, on the upper or south side, 

 any angle equal to 22 30', or greater, the 

 lower end is the North Pole; and if the 

 bar make on the under or north side of the 

 plane a less angle with the plane of the 

 horizon than the magnetical equator 

 makes, the end which touches the equa- 

 torial plane is the South Pole. Whether 

 these results are uniform in various parts 

 of the world, or whether there are such 

 lines as magnetical tropics on each side of 

 the magnetical equator, as the above re- 

 sults seem to intimate; whether the mag- 

 netical equator is the same in different 

 latitudes, or varies its position according 

 to latitude, future experiments must de- 

 termine. 

 N 2 



