320 
emitted from the growing plant has, or 
might be expected to have, the same or 
a similar effect on the constitution, as 
the same when taken iaternally. 
March 27, 1811. G. 
—_— 
Zo the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
sIR, 
N amateur in philosophy, who has 
not the opportunity of making ex. 
periments, wishes to propose the follow- 
ing question, Suppose a polished iron 
ball were suspended, in the manner of a 
pendulum, between two magnets; the 
size of the ball, the length of the pen- 
dulum, (baving as little friction as pos- 
sible) and the form and distance of the 
‘magnets, being adjusted with the utmost 
accuracy ; and this apparatus contained 
in a glass receiver, in which the atmo- 
spherical air was previously as much ra- 
refied as possible. 
The guestion is, whether the attractive 
power of the two. magnets would operate 
yeciprocally upon the polished-iron ball, 
so as to keep \t in a continued uniform 
oscillation between them, by the fresh 
impulse given to the ball at its near ap- 
proximation (short of contact) to each 
‘magnet, in consequence of being drawn 
somewhat beyond its otherwise natural 
‘extent, 
March 21, 1811. 
a 
‘To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
HE following is the mode of an- 
alysis which chemists in general 
employ, in order to ascertain the quantity 
of animal and vegetable matter in soils. 
After the finely divided matter of the 
soil has been submitted to the action of 
the muriatic ‘acid, which takes up the 
lime, magnesia, and part of the oxide of 
iron; the residuum, which generally con- 
sists of silica, alumina, and highly oxidated 
iron, is exposed to a high degree of heat, 
in order to burn out the aninial and ve- 
getable matter, and the loss of weight it 
sustains in this process, is supposed to be 
equal to the quantity of those kinds of 
matter contained in the soil. That this 
method is incorrect, seems obvious, from 
this consideration. That part of the 
oxide of iron which is left, together 
with the vegetable matter after the action 
of the muriatic acid upon the soil, ab- 
sorbs oxygen during calcination, and of 
course obtains an increase of weight. 
Hence the quantity of vegetable matter, 
ealculated in this manner, and especially 
i the soil contain much iron im a highly 
Modern Greek. Lexicons. 
[May 1, 
oxidated state, will be estimated much 
Jess than it really should be. If any of 
your correspondents would give a more 
accurate mode of analysis, through the 
medium of, your Magazine, it would 
much oblige, N. 
Almondbury, March 18, 1811. 
eee 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine, 
SIR, 
APPENING to run over a cata 
logue of books published or sold at 
the Leipzig fairs, of 1809, which I acci- 
dentally found amongst a parcel of 
foreign publications, I observed the fol. 
lowing title, Azinoy rng "Acorodogsung nrog tng 
operrouprevug Fogwns TaVv"EAAnvwy yAorouc, and 
wish to enquire of you, or any of your 
correspondents, if this ‘so called dsoAodogixn 
ydosen is the language known by us at 
present as the modern Greek, or merely 
a dialect, or union vf dialects, in: use 
among, the anciexts? If the acjective 
Twgvn be a campound of apa, it probably 
signifies present, “ants ‘the Acfiev here 
spoken of, is perhaps a modern Gyeel: 
Dictionary. 
In two_Dictionaries, which I had an 
Opportunity of inspecting a few years 
ago, I remember finding the titles of the 
new Greek very different from that here 
alluded to, One was published in Leip- 
zig, if I mistake not, in 1796, and to the 
best of my recollection was called Azfiwes 
ET Aogwprcrixoy yEeraviKoy kas PraAcmoy, and the 
other, according to my common-place 
book, bore the name of yeov AgZixev ivadsuo 
Yerieixov. 
Now, sir, as I am notaware of any voe 
cabulary of the modern Greek tongue 
existing in our language, I cannot but 
think that it would be interesting tomany, 
not only to be informed, as 1 suspect, 
‘ that all the Dictionaries here quoted em- 
brace the same language, but also to 
receive some further account of a lan. 
guage, the real state of which appears 
at present to be but little known; and 
which, from its august descent, might be’ 
expected to have awakened the curiosity 
of philologists at an earlier period. As 
your Miscellany may doubtless fall inte 
the hands of one or another, whose for- 
tune and taste have enabled him to visit 
the territories of ancient Greece, I trust 
the perusal of this short notice will pre- 
vail on any gentleman of this descrip- 
tion, togive in his opinion of the language 
at present in use among the descendants 
of Plato and Demosthenes. ’ 
Kentish-Town, Papagoevs. 
March 19, 1811. Jah yap EPP 
For 
