38 - Communication from Capel Laffit, E/q- 
the prefcriber choofes, a fpoonful of it may be fwallowed 
alone firft, and as much vegetable acid immediately upon it, 
in which cafe none of the gas will be loft. 
When acidity abounds in the firft paflages, a little of this 
falt added to any bifter infufion, or the dry falt added to 
powder of columbo, or ahy peptic powder, is an effectual 
antacid. 
In calculous cafes this falt is recommended by writers, 
particularly by the celebrated Dr. Cullen in his Materta 
Medica, Vol. II. ch. 13. as being an happy expedient for 
conveying larger quantities of alkali into the ftomach, than 
it can bear in its natural ftate. 
Hitherto the common mode of preparing the fat for this 
purpofe, I believe, has been by impregnating a folution or 
fixed alkali with fixed air, by means of Dr. Nooth’s ma- 
chine; but any one who has prepared the medicine in both 
ways, will readily give the moft decided preference to that 
above defcribed, on account both of eafe and cheapnefs. 
It is fearcely worth mentioning, that, for ceconomical pur- 
pofes, fuch as promoting fermentation in dough for bread 
or cakes, where pearl-afhes is commonly employed, the fal 
aératus is much to be preferred, on account of the much 
larger quantity of fixed air eliminated in the procefs. 
IX. Communication from Care. Lorrt, E/g. refpecting the 
late Meteor and the prefent Comet. 
To the Editor of the Philofophical Magazine. 
SIR, Trofton, near Bury, Suffolk: 
Obpservinc an account of the Meteor of Sunday 
Sept. 22, in p. 434 of your laft Number, I trouble you with 
an account of it as obferved here. 
I was looking on that evening for the comet, which I ex 
pected to have feen between the Northern Crowh and the 
conftellation of Hercules. . This being about half patt eight, 
my eye confequently was then direéted weftward. The fky was 
cloudy and mifty: yery few flars appeared. Suddenly my at= 
tention 
