82 XJfiful Notkei rtfftB'tng var'mil Objiili. 



by its aftion when fraeareJ on tlic hands it appeared to poflefs a confiderablc portion of dif- 

 engaged alkali. The whole was then diflblved in water, and left for fcveral days on account 

 of >'.ther avocations. In the mean time a weaker lixivium was boiled with the addition of 

 wool in fmall portions, till the laft quantity added remained for a conliderable time un • 

 dillblved, and was taken out. The fluid poured into cups had the confiRence of treacle. 

 It l.uliered fcarcely at all with water, in whicli, however, it readily diflblved ; and upon 

 being ufcd with a piece of flannel, it feemcd admirably adapted for fcouriiig that cloth. 

 Four fuccefllve rinfings in different clear waters feemed to have waflicd off the foap ; but 

 the fmell ftill remained very flrong in the flannel. It went off in fix or feven hours com- 

 pletely. 



1 was defirous of afccrtaining the ftate of the wool when it (hould be again feparated by 

 means of an acid. For this purpofe I added diluted vitriolic acid to the aqueous folution 

 of the firft imparfeft foap, which contained about half a pound of wool. A feparation 

 inrtantly followed ; and, to my fiirprife, upon ftirring the liquor, it lathered very well. The 

 next day the confillent part had fettled to the bottom. The clear liquor, which was con- 

 fiderably acid, and had a fulphureous fmell, lathered with agitation. The confident part 

 had the appearance as if mollly compofed of broken fibres. The whole was poured into a 

 coarfe cloth, and, after (training away the acid, water was fuffered to run from a cock into 

 the bag of the cloth, and fell clear into a fmall bafon which it overflowed below. It was 

 remarkable tliat this clear taftelefs water bore a ftrong bead or head by agitaiion. The 

 edulcorated matter, when dry, weighed lefs than half an ounce. Hence it fliould feem in this 

 loofe experiment that the acid had not only faturated the difengaged alkali, but had either 

 combined with the wool of the foap, or formed a triple compound with the foap itfelf, 

 which was mollly carried off in the edulcoration. The refidue was probably wool, which 

 had riot been completely deprived of its organization in the firft boiling. But I mean to 

 examine the perfect foap with greater attention to quantities. 



4. Sea S'ichiefs. 

 IN an account of the iflands of Goree and Senegal, by Citizen Prelong, printed in the 

 xviiith volume of the Annales de Chimie, the author mentions that he fuffered prodigioufly 

 and for a long time by the fea ficknefs, but was greatly, and afterwards h.ibitually, relieved 

 by taking ten drops of vitriolic ether in a fpoonful of water. I have alfo been aflured by 

 the commander of a packet conftantly paffmg between Harwich and Helvoetfluys, that he 

 always found this diftreffmg illnels greatly relieved in his paffcngers by a fmall quantity 

 of red wine heated with fpices. 1 he fea ficknefs fecms to be a fpafmodic affeftion of the 

 ftomach, produced by the alternate preflure and recefs of the contents of that vifcus againfl 

 its lower internal furfacc, accordingly as the rife and fall of the fliip oppofes or recedes from 

 the action of gravity. Hence it is relieved by change from the eredi to the prone pollure, 

 or by removing from the extremity of the veffcl to the vicinity of axis of the pitching 

 motion, near the mainmaft ; and hence alfo, when the organs have become habituated to » 

 regular vibration of one kind in a fliip for feveral months, the ficknefs may neverthelefs be 

 again generated by a different vibration in a boat. As it is a habit which requires fome 

 lime to be generated, and comes on gradually, it is not difficult to oppofe it by mental effort 

 or diverfion ; but, to futh as have not acquired this facility, it may be acceptable to know 

 * that 



