224 



On Economy in the Ujs of Sail. 



[oa. u 



ter emploved. The coal after incinera- 

 tt»n leit iwo-thirds of its weight, half ot 

 which was taken up by muriatic acid, and 

 thi.- remaimJer leemed to be filex and cosily 

 iiMtter. The mnriatic foliition, ddiirg 

 trv.iporation, dep-'fited fulphate of lime. 

 When fpiviers' welis were incinerated in 

 an open vtffil, the" afhes were found to 

 contain fulphate of lime, muriate of foda, 

 and carbonate of (bda. Muriatic acid ap- 

 pHtd to the rcf.duc took up more fulphate 

 of lime y and when this fidiition was treat- 

 ed with ammonia and afterwards with pnt- 

 arti, it gave oxide of iron, a little alumine, 

 and feme lime. The uridifTolved part was 

 fikx. 



9. Spiders' weKs were almoft totally 

 dilToJved in nitric acid amounling to fix 

 times their weight ; carbonic acid and ni- 

 trous gas beiuj difengaged. The folu- 

 tion when evaporated let fall cryflals of 

 fulphateof lime, ard by continoing the 

 evaporation, the yellow, bitter, delique- 

 fcent matter, which Welter calls af»er, 

 was atfrded. 



Hence the author concludes that fpiders' 

 T^ebs are compofed of, i. A brown ex- 

 trafl f.liiblc in water, and not chargeable 

 in the airj a. A refnious extraft fokible 

 in alcohol, ard very deliqnefcent ; 3. A 

 fmsll quantity of alumine; 4.. Sulphate of 

 lime; 5. Carbrnaie (f foda; 6. Muriaie 

 of foda J 7. Carbonate of lime j 8. Iron ; 

 g. Silex. The author thinks that the 

 earths and earthy falts may be derived 

 from the local fiiuaiion of thefe infec*s, 

 and that it is jiiob.ible that the wehs of 

 garden fpiders may Dot affijrd them. The 

 two conftant pro(!ii":s to which he de- 

 mands particular attention, aie ihofe ob- 

 tained from the aqueous and alcoholic lo- 

 hitions. He thii-ks it defnable to try 

 their medical powers fcparatelv. He I'lip- 

 poCes the rehrous matter to be the fame 

 iubftance as under other circumftanccs 

 forms the fpiders' filk, and the wax which 

 Mr. Accuni has elfewhere nientiontd as 

 one of their products. 



To the Editor oftte Monthly Magaziaf. 



SIR, ■ »v • 



IN a lateNumher of your valuable nuf- 

 cellany, I ob.erved the ufe of fea- 

 w3tiT recommended, to perfons on the 

 coaft, with whom a favlr.g in the article 

 of fait is an object, as a good fubftittite 

 in the boiling of vegetables. On reading 

 this to the miftrefi of the houfe wlieie I 

 at prcfent refide, (he wilhed me to inform 

 your readers of a much better methvd, 



which may more generally hi adopted, 

 aiKl that is, to ufe no fait at all in thedpel- 

 fing of vegetables of any kind. She teils 

 mc, that the common, and almoft univer- 

 fal, prajlice.anfes from an unaccountable 

 but crroneouj notion, that fait is necrlfa- 

 ry t" preferve their colour ; whereas (he 

 has found, by long experience, that it is 

 of no ule wh.itever, and only fpoils their 

 taffe. If they be boiled in a large vellcl, 

 wi.h water enough, and be nai* boiled 

 too nuich (which is a comincn faiiU), 

 they will have, at lead, as fine a colour 

 without fait as with it. Of this I have 

 had ocular proof. And certain'y the fla- 

 vour is far fuperior. At moft genteel 

 houfiS where 1 havedine.t, I have found 

 greens, peas, French beans, &c. fpoiled to 

 my lalle, by being drefTcd in the common 

 method, and the colour far from being 

 improved. I am peifuaded that if your 

 female readers will lay afuie their preju- 

 dice in favour of aa old and common no- 

 tion, fo as to make the experiment, they 

 will never luff-r any fait to be b iled wiiti 

 their vtgetahlei again. But they muft be 

 very relolute with their cooks, who are a 

 fet of beings not eafily put out of their 

 wav. 



I cannot clo^e this paper without ad- 

 dinu a caution of peculiar importance, 

 againft a practice among cooks, which I 

 am told is very common, but certainly 

 very petnicious; and that is, tor the lake 

 of prel'erving the colour of fome vegeta- 

 bles tind fruits, or giving them an artifi- 

 cial one, they will boil or bake with them 

 halfpence, pieces of pewter, and, in fome 

 cafes, even copperas, as in the pickling 

 of cucumbers. Thi.'i vile pratlice origi- 

 nates in a like miflake with the former, 

 and is fo dangerous, that it ought not, un- 

 der any pretence, to be tolerated". For 

 my own part, I have luch. a dread of being 

 poifoned, that I never eat of anything 

 which has a preternaiuial colour. Byin- 

 ierting thefe cautions, you will do an ef- 

 leniial fervice to the public, as well as 

 oblige one refpeilfully Your's, 



Simplex. 



Mgujl 13, 1805. 



* It is a general opinion, that greens are 

 unwholelbme unlefs boiled very foft. This 

 tli«- famous Doilor Hartley reprobated. I 

 have long foond him to be right in the ad- 

 vice he gave an old friend of mine, to let his 

 greens fee crifp ; as the common manner of 

 boiling them down, takes out the moft plea- 

 faat and faluUry juiQeSj as well as fpoils their 

 colour. 



For 



