3[emolr on aihifonn cutaneous Perspiration. 327 



He also tried whether this fossil could be used with ad- 

 vantage in t'orjies tor forging iron. He kept at a red heat 

 for some time tlie extremities ol an iron rod, one in bitu- 

 mmous wood and the other in oak charcoal, employing 

 equal parts. When the iron rod was taken out, he found 

 its extremities equally ductile, omlieable, and tenacious. 

 There is every reason to think that this new combustible 

 mav es'en be employed in the reduction of iron ore ; but this 

 the author has not been able to ascertain, for want of mate- 

 rials. ■ 



Professor Mojon terminates his report with the following 

 analysis : 



This fossil wood gives almost the same products as coals, if 

 we except the ashes, from which a littic potash is extracted. 



By distillation he obtained phlegm, yellowish bituminous 

 oil, a quantity of carbonic acid t;ds, carbonated hydrogen gas, 

 and an cmpyreumatic oil tiueker than the former. 



In alcohol a portion of this wood, at the end of some time, 

 gave a blackish resinous substance. 



By ebullition in distilled water it suffers to be precipitated 

 calcareous earth and argil. 



By pouring nitric acid over this fossil, it is decomposed, 

 disengaging nitrous gas. 



In the last place, the i?'23 grains of ashes, obtained by the 

 above combustion of 12 pounds of this fossil, gave by lixivi- 

 ation and filtration 1 grain of potash, oxide of iron, alu- 

 jnine, lime, aiid magnesia. 



LXIT. Memoir on aeriform cutaneous Perspiration, By 

 C. TuoussET, jVL D. Professor of Natural Pkilosophij 

 ami C/icmistri/ in the Central School of the Depcirtnient 

 of Isere, &c. * 



X iivsiciANS at all times have endeavoured to ascertain the 

 influence which the air has on the human body ; but how 

 can we conceive that the anticnts, who were not acquainted 

 with the gravity oi that fluid, should have been able to dc- 

 teniiine its action? If we therefore except Hippocrates, 

 who formally asserts in his works that air is digested in the 

 lungs as the aliments are in the stomach, his contemporaries 

 4nd successors have left us on this subject incoherent ideas, 

 often ridiculous, and always erroneous, the fruits of an ima- 

 eindlion not guided by any certain cxperienct, 



* From Amialts JfC'vmie, No. 133, 



X4 If 



