394 A new Bitumen. 
The success answered his expectations, and produced the effect 
desired on the minds of several Christians who had been witnesses 
to the operation : they immediately brought their children to be 
vaccinated, and their example was followed by all the other 
Christians. The Turks and the Arabs have since been converted, 
notwithstanding their religious prejudices, to a firm belief of “its 
utility. Upwards of ninety-six of the children of the latter were 
inoculated in the course of the year 1813; and, among others, 
those of the Mufti, and the Defterdar Davoud Effendi, brother- 
in-law to the Pacha of Bagdad, who has conferred upon Jean de 
Murat a public testimony of his approbation. 
“Not contented with his success at Bagdad, the same benevo- 
lent Turk is endeavouring to propagate vaccination in Mesopo- 
tamia and Armenia. He has sent missionaries to Moussoul and 
Erivan, furnished with instructions written in Arabic and Arme- 
nian, having previously taught them.to perform the operation.” 
M. Bucholz has recently analysed a new bitumen found in the 
environs of Halle in Saxony, which he thinks strongly resembles 
the resino-asphaltum described by Mr. Hatchett some years ago 
in the Philosophical Transactions. According to M. Bucholz, 
that which is found at Halle is composed of two resins, one of 
which is very soluble in alcohol, and approaches to the vegetable 
resins, forming 91 parts of the bitumen ; while the other, which 
forms nine parts, has some analogy to amber. 
The following are a few of the most characteristic marks of 
this substance: It is found in balls the size of an apple, en- 
veloped in gray crystallized gypsum: in colour it is brownish, 
or pale yellow: fracture glossy, and very brittle: it does not 
become soft under the fingers; it even does not melt so easily 
as other resins, but while melting it exhales an agreeable smell, 
something like that of animal resin and styrax. M. Bucholz 
remarks that, as Mr. Hatchett could dissolve only 55 parts of 
the bitumen examined by him, while the former dissolved 91, 
it is extremely probable that this difference was occasioned by 
Mr. Hatchett’s using common alcohol. 
The nine grains which were insoluble in alcohol were dis- 
solved, but with much difficulty, in boiling oil. It was fusible 
in a strong heat, and gave out the smell of common resin. 
The 91 parts above mentioned, when separated from the al- 
coholie solution, were dissolved by ether, and formed a brown- 
ish tincture, while ether of a specific gravity of 0-710, rectified 
over muriate of lime, made scarcely any impression. Oil of tur- 
pentine and rectified petroleum have little or no effect upon this 
resin. Caustic potash dissolved in two parts of water does not 
dissolve this resin ; but when the lixivium is decanted, the resi- 
: due 
. 
