4f38 On the Anti-inflammahle Powers of Salts. 



orand desideratum ; but probably difficult, perhaps impossible. 

 At all events, 1 shall confess that all my numerous experi- 

 ments on the subject have been unsuccessful *. 



It now only remains, in order to conclude this paper, to 

 state, that it seems probable that subcarbonate of soda pos- 

 sesses, in addition to its anti-inflammable properties, a power 

 of preventing the dry-rot. Mr. Cook, in reply to a letter I 

 addressed to him on his patent, when I became acquainted 

 with it, states that he has since discovered this to be the case. 

 I am not aware that he has published any experiments on 

 this subject; nor do I know whether his opinion be founded 

 on experiments made by himself or others. 



In the mean time I shall state the few experiments I made 

 in support of such opinion, before I was aware that Mi\ Cook 

 considered the point as decided. They are not at present 

 sufficient evidence of soda possessing an anti-dry-rot power ; 

 but I discontinued them after Mr. Cook's communication, 

 conceiving he would not have made the assertion without 

 sufficient evidence. 



1, While a slight quantity of mould was visible on a piece 

 of cream-cheese left for comparison, none -whatever was to be 

 seen on pieces of the same cheese that had been soaked six- 

 teen hours either in solutions of bichloride of mercury, mu- 

 riate of soda, muriate of tin, sulphate of copper, acetate of 

 lead, muriate of ammonia, or subcarbonate of soda. Yet the 

 observations were continued rather more than three weeks, 

 viz. from December the S-tth, 1838, to January 15th of the pre- 

 sent year. 



2. When about one- third of saturated solutions of bichlo- 

 ride of mercury and subcarbonate of soda was added to two- 

 thirds milk in diffijrent glasses, in the foi'mer case the milk 

 remained fluid f for three weeks, free from the slightest smell ; 

 in the latter a very slight, but not unpleasant smell was per- 

 ceptible : in neither was there any mould. Yet some of the 



* For the information of those females who do not wear dresses 

 rendered uninflammable, it may be observed, that enveloping them- 

 selves in the hearth rug or counterpane is the best plan to put out 

 flame if extensive. 



t I have elsewhere observed (on the blood) that bichloride of mercury 

 prevents the coagulation of this fluid, and have pointed out some analogies 

 between the nature of this action in the blood, and the coagulation of 

 milk when rctmet is added to it. It seems in additional support of these 

 analogies, that bichloride of mercury does not coagulate milk; and further, 

 that it actually prevents its coagulation when disposed thereto by the 

 acescent fermentation. I should have little doubt, that if bichloride of 

 mercury were mixed with milk to which rennet had been added, no coa- 

 gulation would take place. 



