SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 10 



covered pretty copiously with an oily matter. On opening 

 the globe a slight smell of mouldh^s was perceived j 



A drop of the water, with a little of the pellicle swim- Aps/»aranceof 

 ming on it, being taken up with the point of a toothpick, founts, 

 and examined with lie microscope, it exhibited an immense 

 number of globu'es, of various sizes, almost all motionless: 

 in every drop of water however one or two were perceived, 

 that had a very slow motion. 



Mr. Fray made several experiments of a similar kind, 

 all of which afforded curious results, and he intended to 

 continue them. 



In the autumn of 1810, Messrs. Thenaid and Ouzel Application of 

 were sent to Filching, to direct such means for preserving ox| muriatic 

 ,-;■„'. , , „ , aCld against 



the health of the persons exposed to-tne dangers of that miasmata* 



insalubrious situation, as they might think fit. They 

 ascribe a great deal of benefit to the following practice. 

 In the apartments for the soldiers, as well as those where 

 prisoners were confined, they placed earthen vessels filled 

 .with oxirnuriatic acid greatly diluted with water; and they 

 obliged every man employed on the fortifications, to dip 

 his hands into one of the vessels every morning before he 

 went out to his work. They placed similar vessels in the 

 ditches of stinking mud: so that from these, and the 

 fumigations employed, the workmen were immersed day 

 and night in an atmosphere of oxirnuriatic acid. 



As many topical remedies for the itch were presumed A remedy for 

 to act by means of the oxigen they contained, it had been * 



supposed, that oximuiiatic acid would answer the purpose: 

 and it appeared, that many of the prisoners infected with 

 the i«ch soon experienced the good effects of this immersion 

 of their hands in dilute oxirnuriatic acid*. One, who had 

 the disease all over him in an inveterate degree, that had 

 resisted every application, requested permission to wet 

 rags in the bowls, and rub his body with them; and by 

 these means was perfectly cured in a few days. 



At Carcassone, we are told, upward of four thousand Given inter- 

 Spanish prisouers being attacked with fevers, "adynamico- "; y m P utn * 



* From this passage it appears, that the French employed their 

 prisoners on the works. C. 



ataxic 



