Decomposition of Sulphate of Iron lij Animal Matter. 297 



ar^n, the particulars of which will be detailed in the second 

 volume of the " Medico-Chirurgical Transactions" about 

 to be published*. This occurred in a woman of 25 years 

 of affCj who was considerably pitted by a former confluent 

 small-pox, which she bad suilcred in her childhood. She 

 caught the second disease, which went through the usual 

 variolous stages in a mild way, by nursing her infant under 

 a confluent sraall-pox, which proved fatal to it. It is re- 

 markable, that her two elder children, who had been vac- 

 cinated a few years before, lived in the same apartment, 

 during the progress of the sniall-pox in the infant and mo- 

 ther, and escaped the infection ; the cow-pock in them hav- 

 ing exerted a preventive power, which the previous small- 

 pox had failed to effect in the mother. The poor womaii 

 had been prevented, by the terrors excited by the anti-vac- 

 cinists, from vaccinating her youngest child : a fact which 

 should induce these oppnnenis of the practice to reflect oa 

 the serious responsibility which they assume, in thus dis- 

 couraging the adoption of this important preventive. 



I am, &c. 



Bedford Row, August 19, 1811. X. BaTEMAN, M.D. 



LIV. Notice respecting the Decomposition of Sulphate of Iron 

 by Juimul Matter. By W. H. Fepys, Esq. F.R.S. 

 Treasurer of the Geological Society \. 



xjlS the following circumstance, that took place in my la- 

 boratory, appears to throw considerable light on the mode 

 whereby organic remains become penetrated by pyrites, it 

 may not perhaps be foreign to the objects of the Geological 

 Society, and as such, I have taken the liberty of offering it 

 to their attention. 



I was engaged a few years ago in a course of experiments 

 on hvdrogcn gas, which was procured in the usual method, 

 by the solution of iron turnings in diluted sulphuric acid. 

 The sulphate of iron hence resulting, to the amount of 

 some quarts, was poured into a large earthen pitcher, and 

 remained undisturbed and unnoticed for about a twelve- 

 month. At the end of this time, the vessel being wanted, 

 1 was almut to throw away the liquor, when my attention 

 was excited bv an oily appearance on its surface, together 

 with a yellowish powder, and a quantity of small hairs. 



The powder, on examination, proved to be sulphur; and 



• Several cases and many references will be there found, which are 

 «!iiilted licre for ihe sake of brevity. 



I trom the Transactions of the Geological Society, vol. i. 



oa 



