Steam Drying Rooms.— Polar Expedition. 387 
examined after the experiment, it exhibited proofs of having un- 
dergone fusion. 
Phosphorus in Ether.—I had thrown a number of chips of 
phosphorus into ether, in order to form phosphorized ether. 
After a considerable lapse of time, I found these chips curiously. 
inerusted with transparent acicular crystals bearing a remarkable 
resemblance to the incipient germination of the barley-corn in 
the process of malting. Incidental, agitation unfortunately de- 
stroyed them. 
Magnetism.—A ‘small bar magnet being allowed to remain 
immersed in tincture of cabbage for two or three days, com- 
pletely destroyed the blue colour, and the same thing occurred 
with that of litmns. 
Thetwo legs of a horse-shoe magnet (about 3-4ths inch apart) 
were placed separately in small cylinders, each containing solu- 
tion of nitrate of silver—around one of the poles thus separated 
a dark cloud collected, and a few solitary crystals studded the 
other on the side nearest to that of its adjunct.—Little alteration 
was exhibited after a lapse of two days. But both poles being 
placed together in a vessel with the same metallic solution, soon 
effected a complete decomposition, which was exhibited by both 
the poles becoming completely clothed in brilliant metallic sil- 
ver, while sparkling minute crystals of the same floated through 
the liquid, which, from being previously colourless, had become 
coloured. 
Steam Drying Rooms.—Dr. Ure has stated in his ** Nichol- 
son’s Dictionary of Chemistry,” that ‘* the people who work in 
steam drying rooms are healthy; those who were formerly em- 
ployed in stove-heated apartments became soon sickly and ema- 
ciated. These injurious effects must be ascribed to the action of 
cast iron at a high temperature on the atmosphere. 
I remarked that among the Appennines the Italians place a 
shallow earthen vessel supplied with water on the head of the 
stove, the pipe of which traverses the apartment, and, on in- 
quiring the reason, have been repeatedly assured, that without 
it they should be subject to head-ache and other ills—while with 
this simple precaution they experience no inconvenience what- 
. ever. 
I have deemed it right to mention this, as it points out a very 
simple yet effective remedy. 
Nov. 15, 1821.” . peo elena. Se . 
POLAR EXPEDITION. 
Letters have been received from the ‘ Discovery Ships,’ dated 
16th July; they were then at Resolution Island in Hudson’s 
3C2 Bay; 
