458 Notices respecting New Books. 
various uses to which it is applied, that to which it is chiefly ap- 
plied—the regulation of the specific gravity of the gas-holder. 
In the chapter on the regulator or governor to which we have 
just alluded, Mr. Peckston “observes, p- 357, that “ the smaller 
ones,” for the purpose of regulating the size of flames in the 
burners, ** such as have fallen beneath Ais notice no reasonable 
person would expect much service from.”? We have here an- 
other instance of the disadvantage of judging from a limited 
sphere of observation ; for it is a matter of notoriety that many 
hundred governors of the description alluded to by Mr. P. have 
been for some time in constant action at Bristol, Birmingham, 
Chester, Manchester, &c. and have been found to answer ex- 
tremely well. 
The chapter on gas-meters is almost wholly occupied in an 
attempt to settle the comparative merits of the gas-meter ori- 
ginally invented by Mr. Clegg, and the instrument of the same 
kind supposed to be an improvement invented by Mr. Malam. 
We are not at all disposed to take any part in the controversy, 
resting satisfied that both instruments may be employed with ad- 
vantage; but we hold it a duty to see that the facts as between 
the parties are fairly stated. Mr. P. asserts, p- 334, “ that in the 
large establishments, where of course the pas-meter (z.e. Mr. 
Clegg’s gas-meter) would in proportion be more useful, it has 
not been introduced.” We suspect that Mr. P.’s information on 
this point is somewhat inaccurate. On consulting Mr. Accum’s 
work, we find tha: gas-holders of this description have been 
adopted at the Gas-works at Manchester, Bristol, and Chester ; 
and “ larger” or better conducted establishments than these we 
need not look for, with a view to any sanction which their sy- 
stem of practice affords. It is also but just to observe on the 
other hand, that although it is now about two years since Mr. 
Malam’s supposed improvement was made public; yet the only 
gas-meters erected on his plan, of which we can find notice taken 
in Mr. P.’s book, are two—one at Brick-Lane, and another small 
one in Mr. P.’s own office. 
In the chapter on retorts, Mr. P. mentions that the first three 
of the rotary retorts which were ever put up, were worked un- 
der his (Mr. P.’s) observation ; and that had not the expense of 
erecting retorts of this description been very considerable, and 
the wear and tear enormous, they would doubtless have been: 
adopted in the establishment to which he belongs; but that “both 
were so much against them that every idea of using them there 
was entirely relinquished.” This it will be observed was a first 
trial, and like most first trials appears to have been a very unsuc- 
cessful one ; but Mr. P. seems not aware of what the reader will 
find fully shown in Mr. Accum’s work, that singe then the rotary 
retorts 
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