138 Notices respecting New Books. 
illustrated by notes from the pen of M. Gossart, the president 
of the Chamber ; under whose superintendence a variety of ex- 
periments were made, for the purpose of verifying the admirable. 
properties of the lamp. ‘The body of the work cannot of course 
be expected to contain any thing ou the subject which can be new 
to the English reader; but we subjoin from the notes of M. Gossart 
some observations which possess a considerable share of interest. 
Alluding to the properties of a metallic tissue in intercepting 
heat and flame, M. Gossart observes: 
*<] have repeated the experiments on this subject with a me- 
tallic tissue, whose apertures were |-40th of an inch in size; and 
the results have unifermily verilied what has been published of 
its surprising effects. I got a mask made for myself of this 
gauze, and put my face close to a well-lighted coal fire, with- 
out feeling any other sensation than that of a slight heat. | 
next held my head over the flame of spirit of wine, and of sul- 
phuric ether, so near that the flame and gauze were in contact— 
without any greater effect than in the first instance; but I ob- 
served that the heat of the flame was felt more sensibly at its 
summit than in the centre*. 
** I afterwards placed the same cloth with some gunpowder, 
some vegetable tinder (pollen de lycopode), and some cot- 
ton moistened with sulphuric ether, above a candle; and the fol- 
lowing were the results: 
“ |. The powder being presented ten or twelve times in suc- 
cession to the centre of the flame, and of a current of carburetted 
hydrogen gas, was kept there each time for seven or eight se- 
conds, and only withdrawn when the metallic wires began to 
exhibit a reddish appearance. It was found necessary, in order to 
inflammation taking place, that the metallic wires should attain a 
redness approaching to incandescence, which at the centre of the 
flame requires about ten seconds, but at the summit only three. 
« 2. The vegetable tinder, exposed to a similar trial, burned 
the shavings of wood when the gauze became red, 
* Three persons who were present with me at this experiment, also re-” 
peated it, with the same effects. A mask made of a metallic gauze with 
apertures of from 1-60th or 1-64th of an inch would ke extremely usefuf 
to glass-blowers, to metal-founders, &c. and especially to such as are en- 
gaged in the extinction of fires. , It would be necessary, in the case of the 
latter, that the metallic gauze should envelop the head at the distance of an 
inch, or aninch and an half, and that it should never be allowed to redden. 
It would be well, besides, that they moistened their clothes with a solution of 
alum ; and alsothat a quantity of this solution should be kept in the troughs 
of all fire-engines, that it might accompany them wherever they went. 
Thus provided, the firemen could more easily snatch the burning br: ands, 
cut off the communication of the fire, and save thoge in danger, by wrapping 
them up in a covering of linen dipped in this solution of alum, &e, &e. ~ 
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