100 SIXTH RKrOUT — 18.30. 



vation Dr. Macartney has found this acid in the impure state quite 

 as effectual as the creosote. 



Some very curious examples have been met with in Ireland of en- 

 tire bodies being preserved in bogs very perfectly for a period probably 

 amounting to many centuries. One of these bodies, in the posses- 

 sion of the Royal Dublin Society, was clothed with an undressed 

 skin only, fastened by a rude skewer in front, a national dress of 

 which we have no account either by history or tradition. Another 

 body has been more lately found eighteen feet under the surface of 

 a bog in the county of Roscommon. It appeared to have belonged to 

 a femede of rank ; the dress was injured in taking it up, but the hair 

 was tastefully arranged, and ornamented by a pin. Her shoes were thin 

 and nicely made, with only one seam at the heel, a method of con- 

 struction which Dr. Macartney believes is only met with in Eastern 

 nations. Some bones which had been taken from a bog, and are in 

 the author's possession, exhibit a very curious change of composition, 

 as if they were converted into wood, which appearance they retain even 

 after being burned. (Specimens shown.) 



The different essential oils have great powers in preventing putre- 

 faction of animal substances, and also of destroying the vegetable 

 mould which forms on the surface of vegetable infusions and other 

 fluids. Mr. Carlile has employed for preserving animal jelly or size 

 a few drops of the essential oil of cloves and of rosemary Avith com- 

 plete success. No animal matter goes sooner into putrefaction than 

 size, yet it has been preserved perfectly sweet for more than a year by 

 the addition of a very small quantity of essential oil : this fact ap- 

 pears very important to scene painters and all artists using what are 

 called body colours. Dr. Macartney has likewise used essential oils 

 to prevent the mouldiness of paste and of solution of gum arable. 

 . In preparing the dried skins of quadrupeds it is customary to be- 

 smear the inner surface of the skin with an arsenical paste, or with a 

 solution of corrosive sublimate. Independently of the objection which 

 exists to the employment of poisonous substances, it has been found 

 that these means have not been always effectual in protecting the ex- 

 ternal surface of the skins fi'om the attacks of insects. The following 

 is the process which Dr. Macartney has made use of: the skin in the 

 first instance is immersed for two or three days in a concentrated so- 

 lution of aliun and nitre, which has the effect of partially tanning it ; 

 next, both surfaces of the skin are wetted with the impure or brown 

 pyroligneous acid ; this hastens the drying, and when the skin is com- 

 pletely dried it becomes exceedingly hard, and whether from this cir- 

 cumstance, or from the presence of the empyreuma, it is found that 

 insects of any description are not disposed to attack those so prepared. 

 If any stain remain on the hair it may be removed by brushing the 

 surface with camphorated spirits. 



It is known to botanists that it is impossible to preserve by the 

 usual means the forms of massy or succulent plants ; in order to effect 

 this object Dr. Macartney has employed a method which exceeded 

 his expectations ; it consists in dipping the flower fresh pulled into 



