292 Account of the examination of Fused Charcoal. 
with the products described by Professor Silliman as fused 
carbon.* ease 
REMARK. 
It was not the intention of the Editor to have revived the 
discussion contained in Doct. Hare’s communication—but, 
from the frequent reference made in that paper, to the 
experiments of Prof. Vanuxem, it is thought proper to 
republish his paper, as it appeared in the Journal of the 
Academy of Natural Sciences, of Philadelphia, for April 
1824. 
Account of an examination of Fused Charcoal. By Larp- 
ner Vanoxem. [Read March 30, 1824.]— 
Tur specimen examined was sent to Dr. Cooper by 
Professor Macneven of New-York, who obtained it by 
means of the deflagrator invented by Dr. Hare. 
Dr. Cooper was so good as to present me with the fused 
charcoal, knowing that it was extremely desirous of exper- 
imenting upon it, being very sceptical as to its resulting 
from the fusion of the carbonaceous part of the charcoal, 
believing on the contrary that it was little else than the 
metallic, earthy, saline, or alcaline materials, probably en- 
veloping charcoal in the black globules, or if iron were pre- 
sent, combined with that metal, constituting a product 
analogous to steel. 
My opinion that the fused charcoal in question was de- 
rived from the impurities of the charcoal, was principally 
owing to the sources of error not having been removed ; 
and that these sources are very considerable is well known 
not only to those who have been engaged in the analyses 
of the different kinds of our ordinary combustible substan- 
ces, but is obvious to the common observer by the quantity 
_of ashes which is left, when wood or coal has been incin- 
erated. | 
Dr. Macneven did not mention that he made any ex 
periments upon the fused charcoal, other than that of as- 
* Doctor Hare has given me a specimin of the concretions men- 
tioned by Mr. Conybeare, and they appear to me to be very similar to the 
Carbon fused by the deflagrator; the concretions are however larger and 
more uniform in their colour, which is light ash gray, and they are per- 
haps rather more brilliant.—En. 
