[ *73 3 
X. An Account of jome Appearances attending the Converjton of 
cajl into malleable Iron. In a Letter from Thomas Beddoe% 
M. D. to Sir Jofeph Banks, Bart. P. R . S. 
Read March 24, 1 791. *■ 
S I R, 
Y OU are undoubtedly well apprized of an alteration lately 
introduced into our manufactories of iron, in confe- 
quence of which the reverberatory has been fubftituted I11 the 
place of the finery furnace* The new procefsis capable of being 
indefinitely varied. I have lately been favoured with an oppor- 
tunity of obferving one of thefe variations with every advan- 
tage I could defire. As in this method the changes undergone 
by the metal during the fir ft feries of operations lie perfectly* 
open to infpedtion, a fhort defcription of them may not per- 
haps be unworthy the notice of philofophical chemifts. 
Allow me to premife further, that I did not content myfelf 
with a Angle examination ; and, for the fake of greater accu- 
racy, I took minutes of the phenomena, and of the time when 
they occurred. A very Intelligent workman was at the fame 
time directed to anfwer all my queftions, fo that I enjoyed the 
benefit of his experience alfo. 
In fomewhat more than half an hour after it was put i n ? 
the charge confiding of 2| cwt. of grey pig iron was nearly 
melted. The workman now began to ftir the liquid mafs : 
for 
