632 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



digest an oyster, and if it makes any one sick, he afterwards 

 eschews oysters. So with lobsters. He related a case where a 

 patient was poisoned by a lobster. I'hirty years before he had 

 been poisoned by a lobster, and the stomach remembered the 

 fact and could not digest that sort of food, as was proved by an 

 emetic. 



The Chairman said that the rejection of food was an important 

 part. Oysters, lobsters, snails, &c., concentrate poisonous salts, 

 as he had proved by analysis, and then may be poisonous. In 

 regard to the temperature, it was possible to make food tough by 

 too much heat. It is not necessary to exceed 155 deg. to cook 

 food; 130 deg. will cook some kinds of food. 



The subject named for the next meeting was " Salting the 

 Streets." 



Dr. Stevens proposed, for the meeting of March 27, " The Man- 

 ufacture of Glass." 



Adjourned. 



American Institute, Polytechnic Associa 



March 20 



ociation, ? 

 , 1862. S 



A communication was received from the Board of Managers of 

 the American Institute, and referred to an appropriate com- 

 mittee. 



Mr. J. Johnson, from a committee on the question of changing 

 the day of meeting reported progress, and the committee was 

 continued. 



A report from the committee on reporting and advertising 

 was presented. 



ON DESULPHURIZING COAL. 



Dr. Stevens remarked that steam was sometimes used for the 

 purpose of desulphurizing coal, and sometimes lime, the latter Avith 

 the expectation of forming the sulphurct of lime. He did not tliink 

 that much could be gained from the latter method. Coal has 

 rarely more than two per cent, of sulphur, but that of Cumber- 

 land may have as high as four per cent. 



Mr. Tillman objected to this discussion, because the process 

 was not made known, such being a rule of the Association. 



Prof. Seely did not believe it profitable to desulphurize coal, 

 as the sulphur is usually in the shape of sulphuret of iron. The 

 usual process of desulphurizing is to add some matter having a 

 greater affinity for sulphur than iron. 



