1 5a Account of feme Improvements 



the action of the fire, and confequently a quicker evaporation 

 produced. To leffen the poffibility of tlie ftill running foul, 

 and to haften the efcape and confequent condenfation of the 

 vapour, feemed to be the only points neceffary to the per- 

 fefting of the procefs. 



Dr. Jeffrey defcribes a flill which feems well calculated to 

 anfwer every end that can be defirable in fuch an utenfil. 

 It was conftr(ii5i:ed by Mr. Millar, a Scotch diftiller of great 

 ingenuity. Dr. Jeffrey called Mr. Millar!s notice to the 

 giving the free and moll direft efcape to the fleam. *' After 

 mentioning to him," fays Dr. Jeffrey, " that M. Beaume 

 had contrived a flill that had many apertures in the head, 

 and that he had found that the more of thefe openings he 

 made the fafler did the diflillation go on, Mr. Millar fet about 

 conflru6ling another very flat flill, on the principle of giving 

 exit to the fleam at as many points in the flioulder of the 

 ftill af poflible. Fig. i . Plate V. is a bird's-cve view of the 

 aperturt-3 in the flioulder of this flill before the pipes be fitted 

 into them. Plate IV. is an outfide view of the (till, with its 

 external machinery. Fig. 2. Plate V^. is a perpendicular fec- 

 tion, fliowing the central pipe, large below, and tapering as 

 it rifes perpendicularly upwards. The lateral pipes are 

 oblique, truncated cones, flattened at the fides, as they 

 afcend, to open into the central pipe. Immediately above 

 that part of the central pipe where the lateral pipes enter, 

 the jet and froth-breaking fly plays, while the liquor-agi- 

 tating and fedimcnt-fcraping engine is worked, by ma- 

 chinery, below. The depth of the body is only %\ inches at 

 the centre ; and, at the fides, the foie and fhoulder meet at 

 an acute angle. No fooner was this ftill fet to work, than it 

 was evident that the principle on which the fhoulder was 

 conflrufted was juft; for, though the body and head held 52 

 or 53 gallons only, the ftill could work with 23 gallons of 

 wafh, if the workmen were careful ; but fleadily, and without 

 foul running, for a day toget'ier, with 20 gallons ; and the 

 time between charge and charge was only three minutes at 

 an average. I have, however, feen this ftill charged and dif- 

 cbarged 21 times within the hour. In a letter, which I re- 

 ceived a few days ago from Mr. Millar, he informs me, 



f that 



