200 Converfion of Iron into Steel. 
walls and furniture in Houles a an unufual danrpnefs and hu- 
midity. 
CONVERSION OF IRON INTO STEEL. 
In our Saft we noticed that Mr. Muthet, in varying the 
experiments fuggefted by C. Clouet’s procefs for the conver- 
fion of iron into fteel by cementation with carbonat of lime, 
had found that when lime, previoufly deprived of its car- 
bonic acid, was wled with the iron, the refult was, notwith- 
ftanding, caft fteel; and that, therefore, he found himfelf 
obliged to reje& the idea of the carbon neceflary to the con- 
verfion of iron into fteel, having been furnithed by the de- 
compofition of carbonic acid. 
We alfo in our laft Number laid before our readers C, 
Guyton’s report of the converfion of iron into caft fteel by 
means of the diamond, which is generally held to be pure 
carbon, and which, having difappeared in the procefs, was. 
therefore believed to have entered into chemical union with 
the iron by the affinity exejted between them by means of 
an high temperature. 
From the tenor of the letter from Mr. Muihet, which fur- 
nifhed us with matter for the notice firlt above referred to, 
we were led to fufpeét that, however probable it might be 
that in the cafe Jaft mentioned the carbon, which went to 
fteelify the iron, was furnifhed by the diamond; yet, as Mr. 
Mnifhet’s experiments went to thew that carbon could find its 
way from the ignited gas of the furnace to the iron, through 
materials which, on firft view, one would-hardly think per- 
vious to fuch a principle, it was certainly poflible that the 
French chemifts might be miflaken, and that the carbon, . 
which converted the iron, might not after all have been 
furnifhed by the diamond. 
Since, then, we correfponded with Mr. Mufhet on the ful 
je&t, and propofed that the experiment made at the Poly- 
technic School fhould be repeated, only keeping out the dia- 
mond, As the idea arofe from, and might indeed be faid to 
be embraced in, the fa&s prefented by Mr. Muthet; and as 
the procefs coincided fo nearly with others which he had 
communicated as executed and in train, we knew no perfon 
q fo 
