' Miscellanies. 195 
be made acquainted with them, as he felt that it would nih glut 
to pay them attention. 
As respects myself, I was received more like an old a oe 
than as a stranger. I was invited to a seat next the Vice President 
at the dinner, where I believe about four hundred of the members 
were present, and requested to sit as a member of the committee of 
the chemical section. On every occasion, I was treated with great 
deference and kindness. 
In the extract sent to you, I have omitted some parts of my. letter 
to Dr. Dalton, as they referred to facts already published in the ~ 
number of the Franklin Journal for July, 
: Lam faithfully yours, Rozerr Hare. 
To Prof. Siuz1man. 
' Part of a letter from Rosert Harz, M.D., Prof. of Chem- - 
istry in the University of Pennsylvania, to Joun Darton, Esq., 
Chairman of the Section on ee of the British Association 
ae the Advancement of Science 
Philadelphia, August 14, 1837. 
Lids Sir—I beg leave through you to communicate to the British 
Asssociation for the Advancement of Science, that by an improve- 
ment in the method of constructing and supplying the hydro-oxygen 
blowpipe, originally invented by me in the year 1901, I have suc- 
in fusing into a malleable mass more than three fourths of a 
pound of platina. In all, I fused more than two pounds fourteen 
ounces into four masses, averaging of course nearly the weight above 
mentioned. I see no difficulty in succeeding with much larger 
weights. The benefit resulting from this process is in the facility 
which it affords of fusing platina scraps or old platina ware into 
lumps, from which it may be remodeled into new apparatus.* The 
largest = were fused agreeably to my original plan of | th 
* Ihave, since this statement was made, been Ted to believe that fused -aietnk 
will be free from a a fault to which Wollaston’s platina is more less liable, accord- 
ingly as the process is is more or less skilfully penx’ The fault to which I 
allude is that of scaling when extended under the hammer in order to forma 
crucible or capsule. I hada platina dish of nine ounces in which many scales ex- 
‘fusion, this tendency in the m etal | appeared to be correeted. 
- Darin which had been imperfectly welded from 
the state ¢ of sponge, vitreous globules were observed to exude. Of this fact I can 
conceive of no other explanation than one founded on the allegation of Prof. Dan- 
jels, that during exposure to fire, platina absorbs silicon 
