HANDS PLUNGED IN MELTED COPPER. 303 



which this vapour is evolved from the surface 

 exposed to the air cools it immediately. The 

 workmen informed Mr. Davenport that, if a per- 

 son put his hand into the cauldron with his glove 

 on, he would be dreadfully burnt ; but this extra- 

 ordinary result was not put to the test of observ- 

 ation. 



But though the conjurors with fire may have 

 availed themselves of these singular properties of 

 individual bodies, yet the general secret of their 

 art consisted in rendering the skin of the exposed 

 parts callous and insensible to heat, an effect 

 which may be produced by continually compress- 

 ing or singeing them till the skin acquires a horny 

 consistence. A proof of this opinion is mentioned 

 by Beckmann, who assures us, that in Septem- 

 ber, 1765, when he visited the copper-works at 

 Awestad, one of the workmen, bribed by a little 

 money to drink, took some of the melted copper 

 in his hand, and, after showing it to the company, 

 threw it against a wall. He then squeezed the 

 fingers of his horny hand close to each other, 

 held it a few minutes under his arm-pit, to make 

 it perspire, as he said, and taking it again out, 

 drew it over a ladle filled with melted copper, 

 some of which he skimmed off, and moved his 

 hand backwards and forwards very quickly by 

 way of ostentation. During this performance, 

 M. Beckmann noticed a smell like that of singed 

 horn or leather, though the hand of the workman 

 was not burned. This callosity of the skin may 

 be effected by frequently moistening it with dilute 

 sulphuric acid. Some allege that the juices of 

 certain plants produce the same effect, while 

 others recommend the frequent rubbing of the 



