by Artificial Cold. 8 I 



a cloth", to impede the paflage of heat from the furrounding 

 atmofphere into our materials. The condensation of moift- 

 ure from the atmofphere bv the agency of fo low a tempera- 

 ture was greater than could have been expected : it floated 

 like fleam over our veffels, and, but for the mterpofed co- 

 vering, would have given our mixture more temperature 

 than was defirable. 



After one hour and forty minutes we found, by means of 

 a fearcher introduced for the purpofe, that the mercury was 

 folid and fixed. The temperature of the mixture at this time 

 was — 46, that is i6 D higher than when the mercury was 

 put into it. 



We now regretted that we had not flung the hoop and 

 net-work in the fame way as the fliell of a beam is fufpended, 

 which would have enabled us to lift it out of the mixture at 

 once \Vith the bladder and its contents ; but having over- 

 looked this provifion, we were obliged to turn out the whole 

 contents of the pail into a large evaporating capfule made of 

 iron, which was not effected without the mercury ftriking 

 again ft its bottom, and at the fame time receiving a confi- 

 derablc increafe of temperature. The bladder was now cut. 

 The eagernefs of our friends, of whom feveral were prefent, 

 to be in pofleffion of pieces of the folid mercury, which 

 had fractured by the fall it had received, was paft defcription, 

 Forgetting, and perhaps not being aware of the confe- 

 quence, fome rufhed their hands into the frigorinc mixture, 

 while fome feized on pieces which others, having felected 

 with their eyes as their prize, alfo laid hold of at the fame 

 moment, and confequently each grafped them harder than 

 otherwife they would have done. The acute pain that in- 

 ftantly followed, quickly recalled their recollection, and, but 

 for the fuflferinffS of the individuals, the fcene would have 

 excited no fmall degree of mirth : fome clapt their hands 

 into their mouths, others fhook them, blew on them, or 

 rubbed them againft their clothes ; and all were more orlefs 



Vol. III. G alarmed 



