On the Mines and Manufactures of the East Indies. 22? 



general assumptions and conclusions, without offerino- the 

 particular evidence for their confirmation, from a desfre to 

 keep in view the remembrance of retrospective accounts 

 and to combine them with intimations for future research! 

 The due cultivation of this interesuug- pursuit cannot fail 

 to elucidate many of the phaenomeua in quciition, to remove 

 premature and ill-founded physiological opinions, and 

 eventually to aid in rendering the medical art more bene- 

 ficial, by estabhshing its doctrines on more extensive and 

 accurate views of the animal ceconomy. 



XrjV, Information nn the Mines and Manufactures of the 

 East Indies, and of tier Subjects. By J. Machlachlan, 

 Esq. of Calcutta'*. 



SIR, 



Ohould you think the enclosed receipts for dyeing the 

 beautiful reds of the Coromandei coast can be of an°v use 

 to the dyers of the united British kingdom, be pleased to 

 lay them before the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, 

 &c. that they may be published in the volume of their Trans- 

 actions ; it not, I trust you will excuse niv troubling you 

 with them. They were sent to me from Madras by a s^cien- 

 tific friend, who had the several operations, detailed in them, 

 performed in liis own presence. I forwarded a copy of 

 them, and a small quantity of the ingredients mentioned- 

 in them, to a friend at home, several years ago ; hut he dy- 

 ing about or soon after the time of their arrival, I never 

 learned what became of them. It strikes mc, however, 

 that there is a considerable coincidence between the thread 

 procesf and that which I have seen recomnundcd by Mr. 

 Henry, of Manchester, for dyeing the Adrianople orTurkey 

 red. 



I am not certain whether it is known at home, that many 

 of the hills in Idahar, and other parts of India, contain im- 

 mense q-'antities of mica, talc, or Muscovy glass. The 

 natives of this country and China make very spleniiid lan- 

 terns, shades, and ornaments of it, tinged of various fanci- 

 ful colours ; and it is also used by them in medicine. 

 When burned or calcined, it is, I am told, considered as a 

 specific in obstinate coughs and consumptions. When 

 powdered it serves to silver the Indian paper, &c. used in 



• From Traimaclions of .'he Sunetij of Arti, &.<:, 1801, which voted ics silver 

 medal lo .i.e author fortlie coiiiniua'ication. 



P 2 letter- 



