PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 475 



Hills, begins a running of coal, consisting of several veins, which extends it- 

 self in length towards the east about 4 miles : there is much working in this 

 running, and fire-damps continually happen there : so that many men of late 

 years have been there killed, many others maimed and burnt ; some have been 

 blown up at the works mouth, the turn -beam which hangs over the shaft has 

 been thrown off its frame by the force of it, and those other efl?ects whereof you 

 had an account from other places are generally found. The middle and more 

 easterly parts of this running are so very subject to these fire-damps, that 

 scarcely a pit fails of them ; notwithstanding which, our colliers still pursue 

 their work : but to prevent mischief, they keep their air very quick, and use 

 no candles in their works but of a single wick, and those of 6o or 70 to the 

 pound, which nevertheless give as great a light there, as others of 10 or 12 

 to the pound in other places, and they always place them behind them, and 

 never present them to the breast of the work. 



When any are burned, the usual method they observe in their cure is this : 

 they presently betake themselves to a good fire, and sending for some cows hot 

 milk, they first bathe the burned places with that ; when they have done this a 

 while, they make use of an ointment proper for hnrns.* 



On the great Over-Jiowing of some Rivers in Gascony. Philos. Collect. 



N° 1, p. 9. 



In the beginning of the month of July 1678, after some gentle rainy days, 

 which had not swelled the waters of the Garonne more than usual, in one night 

 this river swelled so much, that all the bridges and mills above Tolouse were 

 carried away by it. In the plains below this town, the inhabitants who had 

 built in places, which by long experience they had found safe enough from any 

 former inundations, were surprized by this; some were drowned, together with 

 their cattle ; others only saved themselves by climbing into trees, and getting to 

 the tops of houses; and some others, who were looking after their cattle in the 

 field, warned by the noise which this horrible and furious torrent of water made, 

 rolling towards them like a sea, could not escape, but were overtaken, though 

 they fled with much precipitation : this however did not last many hours with 

 this violence. 



♦ In slight and paitial burns happening in this or other ways, cold water, applied before the skin 

 becomes blistered, produces an immediate good effect j but in the more violent and extensive injuries 

 of this kind, it has been foimd that a contrary method is proper, and that ulceration, deep sloughs, 

 and mortification are best prevented by tlie application of spirit of wine, oil of turpentine, and other 

 Stimulants. The common oily applications are improper. 



3 pa 



