Proceedings of the British Association. 1 19 



Prof. Bunsen and Dr. Lyon Playfair (first part of the Report 

 4 On the Gases from Furnaces'), 'On the eudiometric method of 

 analysis employed in the inquiries on the Manufacture of Iron, and 

 the Gases evolved in the distillation of Coal/ The authors described 

 in the first instance their method of collecting the gases from the 

 furnaces, which they had succeeded in doing from every part of the 

 iron furnaces, and this in England, Norway, and Sweden. The 

 imperfect state of eudiometry was dwelt on, and the mode adopted 

 by the authors described; but as the details necessarily involve a 

 number of purely chemical questions, we shall only refer to the more 

 interesting facts. By the improved method, the condition of the 

 atmosphere was first ascertained, and the average of many experi- 

 ments gave as its composition — 



Nitrogen, ... 70*09 



Oxygen, 20'91 



which is nearly the result obtained by other eminent chemists. The 

 analyses of the various carburetted hydrogens, collected from coal and 

 coke, were next detailed, and many improvements named, particu- 

 larly that the per-chloride of antimony completely absorbed all the 

 carburetted hydrogens, whether the fire-damp, or the olefiant gas, 

 allowing the carbonic oxide and carbonic acid to pass freely, which 

 were afterwards collected and ascertained in the usual manner. The 

 gases proceeding from iron furnaces were found to be — 



1. Nitrogen. 7. Carburetted hydrogen of unknown 



2. Ammonia. composition. 



3. Light carburetted hydrogen. 8. Aqueous vapour. 



4. Olefiant gas. 9. Hydrogen. 



5. Carbonic oxide. 10. Sulphuretted hydrogen. 



6. Carbonic acid. 



The gasification of coal in the furnaces takes place in two different 

 points, in the first instance during the distillation of the coal and 

 the formation of coke ; and secondly, when the coke undergoes the 

 process of combustion. This result was uniformly observed, and the 



