118 Papers relating io the Fusion of Carbon. 
1V. Examinution of the projections which arise upon char- 
coal wee oe between the pe of a galvanic defla- 
© grator. Hare, M. D. &. 
Warne | conceive it impossible that a globule of malleable 
tron, of the size of that described by Prof. Vanuxem, should 
be derived from a portion of wood charcoal, small enough to 
be comprised within the sphere of intense galvanic ignition ; 
I have never been of een that there might not be a mi- 
nute portion of iron in some kinds of charcoal. In my ine- 
moir on the supply and saplisetson of the blowpipe, publish- 
ed in 1802, it was suggested, that the dark colour acquired 
by some of the earths, during fusion, might be owing toa 
trace of iron ia the coal. Dr. Clark, afterwards, sanctioned 
this conjecture. 
_ About two years ago, in examining some projections formed 
on charcoal, pursuant to Professor Silliman’s observations, it 
occurred to me, that there was in the texture, a rese nce 
dee lately subjected several. specimens of fused carbon, 
from Prof. Silliman, to nitrate of potash intensely 
heated by different means. Sometimes, a small platina tray, 
containing the nitre and fused car>on, was made to complete 
the circuit of a large calorimotor ; in others, it was subjected 
to the flame of the hydro-oxygen blowpipe. In either case, 
the deflagration of the carbonaceous product, with the nitre, 
= effected. When it had all disappeared, the tray was 
subjected to water, heated in a glass tube, until all the soluble 
matter was dissolved. Being thus cleansed from the salt, it 
was introduced into another glass tube, containing pure, 
colourless, muriatic acid. The acid instantly assumed a 
straw colour, and gave a blue colour with the prussiate of 
potash, although on mixtufe with the same test, before the 
tray had been exposed to it, the acid underwent no change 
of colour, on admixture with the prussiate. The soluble 
matter removed by the water, — ssayed with lime water, 
gave a very copious precijitate hen one of the projec- 
tions, held in a pair of slender forceps, was papnedd to the 
pe flame. it burned readily, leaving scarcely any 
