47 
as the greater part of the castings in those works, and must 
have cost the proprietor many hundred pounds, as well as 
great hindrance in business, the losses on which account 
did not admit of very easy calculation. He had been inform- 
ed that since its reparation not one casting remained un- 
broken, cast of iron made by hot air blast. It was well known 
that this engine was made of Scotch iron, which was princi- 
pally made by the hot air process. A bar iron work was 
attempted to be established in Glasgow, and after many 
thousand pounds had been expended, the attempt failed 
altogether, and was at this moment entirely stopped. He 
had been informed that so many breakages took place in so 
short a time, that the workmen could not work for the same 
wages as at other works, and ultimately the quarrel became 
so great between them and their master, that the undertaking 
was abandoned, and he believed was never likely to be re- 
newed. This was an experiment on a very large scale ; and 
he could mention many others, if it were necessary to do so. 
It was experiments on a large scale to which they were to 
look, and on a question of so much public importance as this, 
he thought it was impossible to bestow too much attention 
upon it. He had been occupied for some time past in draw- 
ing out a statement of the advantages and disadvantages of 
what had been so erroneously called an improvement in the 
manufacture of iron, and he hoped on some future occasion, 
when more time could be devoted to the subject, to lay that 
statement before the society. 
The Chairman said that Mr. Leah's paper indicated a 
great deal of profound research and an intimate acquaintance 
with the principles of chemical science : hence he, (the 
Chairman) had certainly not felt it to be a dry subject, but a 
very interesting and useful one. Before he sat down, he 
would say a few words in reference to the mention which had 
been made as to the effect of electricity on the quality of 
iron. The quantity of electricity put in action on the change 
