indigo Refin—Converfion of Tron into Steel. 97 
A letter from Berlin, dated September 28, ftates, that the 
eommiffion appointed by his Pruffian majefty, to examine 
Achatd and Klaproth’s procefs for making fugar from beet- 
roots, have finifhed their report on that fubject: The refult 
is, that 1500 pounds of beet-rvot gave 398 pounds of very 
agreeable fyrup, which produced 57 pounds of powder-fugar 
of a white colour; and proper for ufe without being any far- 
ther refined. 
INDIGO RESIN. 
Profeffor Brugnatelli, of Pavia, has lately anriounced, that, 
by treating idigd with the nitrous acid, one may obtain a 
large quantity of a peculiar refin, which he calls Refina in- 
digofera. An ounce of indigo diftilled with four ounces of 
the nitrous acid, left a thick mafs, in which he found a con- 
crete fubftance ei red colour, which, when feparated, had 
all the properties of refin: it ae half an ounce. This 
tefin diffolved very eafily in alcohol, which acquired from it 
a dark red colour. Waiter decompofed this folution imme- 
diately, and produced a yellow precipitate. This tin@ure 
communicated its colour to paper and” linen, and gave ita 
beautiful and durable yellow dye. It communicated the fame 
colour to the fkin and the nails: the former retained its co- 
Jour for a long time. This refin has a yery bitter, aftringent, 
and difagreeable tafte;. but no fenfible fmell. On glowing 
coals it melts and burns with a flame, and at the fame time 
emits a fharp difagreeable {mell. 
CONVERSION OF IRON INTO STEEL. 
Our valued correfpondent Mr. Muthet, of the Clyde Trot- 
Works, has examined and repeated C: Clouet’s procefs with 
confiderable fuccefs. The experience of Mr. Mufhet in fimi- 
lar procefles rendered him well quatified for the inveftigation, 
and the refult has been what we fhould have promifed from 
our knowledge of his abilities and accuracy. Mr. Mufhet, 
inftead of experiencing any lofs in the weight of iron em- 
ployed, has uniformly obtained the fame” increafé gained in 
the large way of manufaéture by the common procels of ce- 
mentation with charcoal, vz. from ;5 to 7th. However, 
in varying the experiments of the French chemifts, he has 
Vou. VY. v met 
