54 Scientific News, 



1 undetftand b)' a letter from tlie Rev. Mr. Pearfon, of Lincoln, that he did not mean to 

 imply, by the words in the firft parenthefis on page 53, that the earth has any perceptible irre- 

 gularities in its rotation, of which he obferves that a fufpicion was entertained by Kepler. The 

 inaccuracy of expreffion arofe from his attention being diredled to the length of the apparent 

 folar day, inftead of mean folar time. 



New Produce of European Sugar. 



I have heard much, within the laft fortnight, concerning the product of fugar from a 

 rpccies of the beet, or mangel wurzel, "by Mr. Achard. The experiments of Margraaf 

 and others many years ago, who obtained fugar from vegetables by treatment with alcohol, 

 arc well known to chemifts. But it is flated, that the chemift of Berlin, has obtained it 

 by a procefs fufiiciently cheap, and in quantities fo confiderable, that if the reports which are 

 circulated be true, the difcovery will bid fair to change a large part of the commercial fyftem 

 of-the world, with regard to this great article of modern confumption. The experiments 

 are faid to have been confirmed, on a large fcale, by Klaproth. But I muft defer any 

 further report, until the fubjcCt can be exhibited in an unqueftionable fhape. 



A trantlation of Dr. Gren's Elementary Treatife on Chemiftry, in two volumes oaavo, 

 •is ready for the prefs. This woric is an abridgement by the author, of his own fyftem of 

 chemiftry, of which the fecond edition, in four large oftavo volumes, was publiflied in 1796« 

 A work highly efteemed throughout Germany, for fyftematical arrangement, and the extent 

 of knowledge it difplays. Though Dr. Gren was neither of the phlogiftian nor antiphlo- 

 giftian order of chemifts, but maintained a fyftem of his own, in which both theories were 

 combined, he has neverthelefs chofen to follow the antiphlogiftian fyftem in his abridged 

 work. The tranflator has added the difcoveries made fince the year 1796. 



Dr. Frederick Albert Charles Gren, public profeffor of medicine at Halle, died on the 26th 

 bf November laft, of a nervous fever, in the 38th year of his age. The public proofs 

 which he gave of ability and induftry, have rendered his lofsa fevere affliflionto the fcientific 

 world. He was author of an Introdudlion to natural philofophy, of which the third edition 

 was publiftied in 1797 ; — Elements of Pharmacology, in two volumes o£tavo, of which the 

 Tecond edition was publiflied in 1798 ;— and alfo the Journal of Natural Philofophy, began in 

 1770, of which eleven volumes are extant. 



April 27, 1799. 

 I have received fome papers from Dr. Beddoes, relating to the fubjefl; animadverted 

 upon at page 41 of the prefent volume, and alfo a letter from Dr. Gibbes. Dr. Beddoes does 

 not confider his documents as fufEciently interefting to the public, to deferve a place in the 



Journal ; 



