Weiv Puhlieatlons. 3^5 



Iribution every recent work from which any chemical glean- 

 ings could be gathered. His indultry deferves praife, and 

 his book cannot fail to be yfeful in no mean degree ; though 

 we fear that in a few cafes he has admitted fa6ls of uncertain 

 authenticity, and tl^eories not fufficiently fupported. 



jin E^ay on the Theory amj. Pratflcfi of Bleaching, &c. By 

 William Higgins, M.R.I.A- London: Vemor 

 and Hood, X7§9. 71 Pages: 8vo. Price 2s. 



Science is truly beneficial Qi)ly in its application to the 

 ufes of life. But for thefe ufes, we ihould little value all the 

 improvements of piodern chcmillry. There exifts not, how- 

 ,evcr, in any language, a treatife in which art and fcience are 

 brought into alliance mpre happily than in that which is 

 now before us. It was publiflied at the requeft of the Right 

 Hon. Mr. FoRer and the Right Hon. Mr. Corry of the 

 Irifti Houfe of Commons. It is intended for the perufal 

 and inftrufiion of aSual bleachers. It explains the nature 

 of flax, as being coloured by a refin that intimately pervades 

 all its fibres. It explains in detail the praftices of the old 

 method of bleaching, which difcharged the weaver's dreffing 

 hy fteeping in water; then, for a courfe of many weeks, 

 applied alternate expofure to the open air, and fteeping or 

 boiling in ajkallne lixivia, to bring all cloths of flax to perfetSl 

 whitenefs. It relates the manner of the applications of oxy- 

 genated muriatic acid ii> oxy-muriat of lime lo abbreviate 

 and perfeft the bleaching procefs. It laftly propofes, as the 

 cheapeft and beft of all modes of bleaching, the alternate ufe 

 of fteeps of oxy-muriat of lime, and fteeps of fulphuret of 

 Jime, which in the courfe of ten days will bring green linen 

 to a ftate of pure whitenefs. We earneftly recommend this 

 treatife to general attention. 



Tranfa^ions of the Royal Society of E4'mlnrgh, Vol. V. 

 Part I. for 1 7 99. 



This Part contains the following papers : 



I. Inveftigation of certain theorems relating to the figure 

 of the earth. By Mr. Playfair. 



II. Account of certain phenomena obferved in the air- 



vault 



