108 On the Oxi-hydrogen Blow-pipe. 
No flux or addition of any kin«d was employed in the following 
experiments. 
On the Fusion of various refractory Bodies by the Compound 
Blow-pipe of Mr. Hare. 
The philosophical world behold with pleasure and astonish- 
ment the effects produced on the fusion and combustion of 
bodies by a stream of oxygen gas directed upon burning char- 
coal. ‘The splendour of these experiments arrested universal at- 
tention; and Lavoisier, with his gasometer, was enabled in this 
manner to produce a degree of heat surpassing that of the most 
powerful furnaces, and even of the solar focus. Bodies which 
no degree of heat, previously applied, had been able to soften, 
now became fluid, and, philosophy appeared to have attained the 
limit of its power in exciting heat; indeed, it seemed to have 
advanced very far towards realizing the opinion, that solidity and 
fluidity are accidental attributes of bodies, dependant solely on 
the quantity of caloric which they contain, and that therefore 
they may be supposed capable of existing in either of these con- 
ditions. 
Still, however, there were, iz fact, many important exceptions. 
Of the primitive earths, Lavoisier had been enabled to fuse only 
alumine—while the rest remained refractory, and seemed. fully 
entitled to the character of infusibility, usually attributed to this 
elass of bodies: mazy native minerals, and especially those which 
are most distinguished for hardness, beauty, and simplicity of 
composition, maintained the same character, and some of them 
refused to melt even when heated with powerful fluxes. 
The beautiful invention of Mr. Robert Hare of Philadelphia, 
by which he succeeded in burning, with safety and convenience, 
the united stream of oxygen and hydrogen gases, greatly ex- 
tended our dominion over refractory bodies, and presented new 
and very interesting results. Mr. Hare’s memoir, originally 
communicated to the Chemical Society of Philadelphia, has been 
some years before the public, and has been republished and 
handsomely noticed both in France and England. Still, how- 
ever, his results have not found their way into the systematical 
books on chemistry, (with the exception of Mr. Murray’s sy- 
stem,) notwithstanding that some of the European Professors 
have availed themselves of Mr. Hare’s invention, so far as to ex- 
hi it his most splendid and striking experiments to their classes. 
The writer of this article, although fully disclaiming any share 
in Mr. Hare’s invention, was early associated with him in his 
experiments: they excited in his mind a degree of interest, which 
led him to hope that they would be repeated and extended by 
others; but as nothing of this kind has appeared in this country, 
perhaps 
