Remarks on Men of gigantic Stature. 355 



spontaneous inflammation, the use of it ought to be aban- 

 doned, or great care should be employed in preserving it. 

 Magazines of this substance, both at Paris and other 

 places, which were uncovered, have been inflamed by the 

 combined action of the heat and rain. 



10. The Phosphorus contained sometimes in Charcoal. 



It may happen also that the small quantity of phosphorus, 

 which is sometimes formed in the carbonization of different 

 kinds of wood, without uniting to lime or to potash, re- 

 mains combined with the charcoal, which in this case does 

 not disengage phosphorated hydrogen gas, and does not 

 easily inflame by the mere action of water or moist air, but 

 which mav produce a violent detonation when struck with 

 saltpetre (nitrate of potash). It is very probable that the 

 three successive explosions which took place in the powder- 

 mill of Vonges were in part owing to a similar cause. 



Charcoal in general has a great influence on the different 

 products of nature and the aits. It is often observed in 

 forges and founderies, especially those of iron, that the 

 products vary according to the nature of the charcoal em- 

 ployed. The bad quality found sometimes in iron of being 

 cold short is generally ascribed to phosphoric acid contained 

 in tlic ore ; but as the ore by the same processes furnishes 

 in the same foundery one kind of iron better than another, 

 the difference appears often to arise in part from the char- 

 coal. 



LXII. Remarks on Men of gigantic Stature, and particu- 

 larly on the Irish Giant, O'Brien. By Mr. Blair, 

 Surgeon of the Lock Hospital, &fc. ^c* 



1. HE existence of whole nations of gigantic persons may 

 well be questioned ; but there can be no reasonable doubt of 

 the reality of certain individuals, whose stature has greatly 

 exceeded that of men in general. The exact height of Og, 

 king of Bashan, has been variously computed; some sup- 

 posing him to have been more than twelve English feet, 

 while others think his stature did not exceed eleven feet. 

 In like manner, the giant Goliah is generally computed to 

 have been about nine feet nine inches ; but bishop Cum- 

 berland supposes he might have been full eleven feet high. 

 The emperor Maxiiiiinus is said to have been nine fcetj and 



* Communicated by the Author. 



Z 2 several 



