IQQ ON WOOD AND CHARCOAL. 



diluted state; while in others, when it may be desirable ttt 

 take in a small compass large doses of these saline sub- 

 stances, it will be preferred in iu native undiminished 

 strength. 



HI. 



Account of sorite new Eperiments on Wood and Charcoal: by 

 Benj: Count of Rumford, 1\ R» SS. L. and E* 

 M. R. L A. ^ c* 



Various kinds JljLAVING had occasion to dry several kinds of wood, 



cured°for dry- to ascerta ^ n now much water was contained in them, t 



ing. procured a piece of each kind six inches long and half an 



inch thick, and planed off some pretty thin shavings, which 



I kept to dry for eight days in a room, the temperature 



of which was constantly about fj0° F. ■ The wood had been 



previously drying two or three years in a joiner's workshop. 



Exposed to a Of each kind of shavings I took 10 gr. [154*5 grs.] 



moderate heat w j n j c | 1 \ pl ace d on a china plate in a kind of stove made 

 m a stove. p ' r 



of sheet iron ; and heated them moderately by a small fire 



under the stove for twelve hours, after which they were 



suffered to cool gradually during twelve hours more. 



The stove, being surrounded with brick-work, was still hot 



twelve hours after the fire had been extinguished. 



Los3 of weight. On taking out the china plates in succession, and 

 weighing the shavings anew, their weight was found to be 

 diminished about one tenth, some a little more, others a 

 little less. When the shavings were put into the stove, their 

 weight was 10 gr„ when taken out it was about 9. Their 

 colour was not perceptibly altered, and they had no 

 appearance of having been exposed to a strong heat. 



Heated agam. Desirous of knowing how far the drying of wood might 

 be carried, I replaced them all in the stove, which I 

 heated as before, neither more nor less, for twelve hours, 

 and afterward left to cool slowly for twelve hours. 



On 



* Read at the meeting of the first class of the French Institute, Dec. 

 the 30th, 1811. This, as well as the following, is translated from th« 

 original, transmitted by the County and not yet published in France. 



