tBe Congelation of Hulclfher. . . fo. 
foti T who lias (oine reputation in the learned world on ac- 
£ £ a. i 1 * i • 
“ ZCU. I haftened immediately to his houfe, to lee this hitherto 
“ incredible wonder of nature. Not feeling bv the way the 
cions about the congelation of his quickfilver. In fact, I 
“ law that it did not continue in one column, but was divided 
“ in different places as into little cylinders which appeared 
fiozen, and in fome of thefe divifions between the quick- 
“ filver I perceived an appearance like frozen moifture. It im- 
44 mediately occurred to me, that the mercury might have been 
“ cleaned with vinegar and fait, and not fufficiently dried. The 
44 perfon acknowledged it had been purified in that manner. 
This fame quickfilver, taken out of the barometer and well- 
44 dried, would not freeze again, though expofed to a much 
gieatci degiee of cold, as Ihewn by the thermometer. We 
44 were allured by the inhabitants, that the fevered; cold of this 
44 winter did not approach what they had buffered other years ; 
44 and yet the thermometer fell feveral times to 72 0 below o of 
14 Fahrenheit's fcale, which would he thought, in Germany 
44 at lead:, a very intcnfe froft.” 
The gentleman to whofe ohfervation Dr. gm elin here (hews 
fo little refpetff, deems to have been no other than one of his allo- 
ciates in the com million, M. be l’jsle he la croyere*, pro- 
bably the fird perfon upon earth who law quickfilver reduced 
to a folid form by cold, and ventured to credit the tedimonv of 
his fenfes. As to the objection, that the fame mercury did not 
freeze with a greater degree of cold, it is of no avail; for M.. 
* Sec Dumxszl's L ater, Phil. Tranjaft. vol. LI. p. 6“;. 
C ME LIN. 
