on the alloys of steel. s6g 
pected the presence of carbon ; none however was found, al- 
though carefully looked for. It is not improbable that there 
may be other bodies, besides charcoal, capable of giving to iron 
the properties of steel ; and though we cannot agree with M. 
Boussin gault,* when he would replace carbon in steel by 
silica or its base, we think his experiments very interesting 
on this point, which is worthy farther examination. 
We are not informed as to what extent these alloys, or any 
of them, have been made at home, or to what uses they have 
been applied ; their more general introduction in the manu- 
facture of cutlery would assuredly add to the value, and con- 
sequently to the extension of that branch of trade. There 
are various other important uses to which the alloys of steel 
may advantageously be applied. If our information be cor- 
rect, the alloy of silver, as well as that of platina, has been 
to some considerable extent in use at His Majesty’s Mint. 
We do know, that several of the alloys have been diligently 
and successfully made on the Continent ; very good specimens 
of some of them having been handed to us ; and we are proud 
of these testimonies of the utility of our endeavours. 
To succeed in making and extending the application of 
these new compounds, a considerable degree of faithful and 
diligent attention will be required on the part of the operators. 
The purity of the metals intended to form the compound is 
essential ; the perfect and complete fusion of both must, in 
every case, be ascertained : it is farther requisite, that the 
metals be kept for some considerable time in the state of thin 
fusion ; after casting, the forging is with equal care to be 
attended to ; the metal must on no account be overheated ; 
* Annales de Chimie, XVI. i. 
