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MISCELLANIES. 



MUSTY WHEAT 



fT^^HE following letter at this 

 _fl time deserves particular at- 

 tention ; the scientific author, 

 Mr. Hatchett^ is well known to 

 be one of the most eminent chy- 

 mists in Europe. 



TO THE RIGHT HON. SIR JOSEPH 

 BANKS, BART. G. C. B. P. R. S. &C. 



Read before the Royal Society, Dec. 

 5, 1816. 



" My Dear Sir,— The very 

 great loss which this country 

 formerly experienced by a con- 

 siderable part of imported grain 

 having become contaminated by 

 must, induced me several years 

 past to direct my intention to- 

 wards discovering some simple 

 and economical method by which 

 this taint could be removed, and 

 you well know that my endea- 

 voui's were successful ; but as 

 circumstances at that time, and 

 since, did not appear to require 

 that great publicity should be 

 given to this process, I contented 

 myself with describmg it to you 

 and a few of my other friends. 

 Now, however, when I reflect on 



the large quantities of corn which, 

 during the last harvest, have been 

 housed in a damp state, and on 

 the great miportations which are 

 e.vpectevi, with the extreme pro- 

 bability that a considerable part 

 may Jiave contracted must, and 

 that thus the object of importation 

 may be partially frustrated by the 

 destruction of a large portion of 

 grain, and the consequent increase 

 in the price of the remainder, I 

 think it incumbent on me, by 

 addressing this letter to you, to 

 lose no time in publishing a pro- 

 cess, by which corn, however 

 musty, may be completely puri- 

 fied, with scarcely any loss of 

 quantity, ^^ ith very little expense, 

 and without requiring previous 

 chymical knowledge or chymical 

 apparatus. 



" The experiments which I 

 made were confined to wheat, as 

 being of the greatest importance ; 

 but there can be no doubt that 

 oats and other grain may be re- 

 stored to sweetness with equal 

 success : and I have also addi- 

 tional .-satisfaction from being en- 

 abled to state, that the efficacy of 

 the process may be ascertained by 



any 



