J, 22 EFFECTS OF QUICKSILVER IN BILGE WATER. 



fluid it contains, we have the case of a common capillary 

 tube ; and the mass raised above the level of the surface of 

 the fluid in the vessel is as (2 r — r ) X diameter of the 

 tube. From this corollary the explanation of the common 

 phenomena is too simple to make it necessary for me to 

 dwell on it. 



VL 



An Account of the Effects of Thirty Tons of Quicksiher 



escaping by the rotting of leathern Bags into the Bilge 



\ Water, o» board the Triumph Man of War: communicated 



by Dr. Baird, Physician General to the Navy, to a 



Friend in London, 



Qnickstlver J N April, 1810, the Triumph man of war took on board 

 8^5^10**° ' thirty tons of quicksilver, contained in leathern bags of 

 50ibs. each. These bags were picked up on the shore of 

 Cadiz, from the wreck of two Spanish line of battle ship«, 

 lost in the storm immediately precedinj^, at the end of 

 March, the above date. The collected bags were stowed 

 below, in the bread room, after hold, and store rooms : 

 iawetleaih^m they were saturated with salt water, and, in about a fort- 

 ^.^V . night, all decayed and burst. In the act of collecting and 



endeavouring to save the quicksilver in casks, much of it 

 found its way to the recesses of the ship, beyond the possi- 

 bility of recovery. Some portion, however, was secreted 

 by the men, who amused themselves in various ways with it, 

 as cleaning their spoons, &e. 

 Ttw vapour of At this period bilge water had collected in the ship, the 

 the bilge water gtench from which was intolerable : and the carpenter's 

 wiatefled me- « * c » • i i . , «- 



tals, instead ofoaate, m the act ot sounding the well, was nearly sufto- 



'^^'^''^"'"f cated. The effect of the gas escaping from bilge water is 

 manifested, by its changing every metallic substance in the 

 ship black. But in this instance metals of every kind 

 were coated with quicksilver ; and a general affection of the 

 mouth took place among the men and officers, to a severe 



degree 



