Reprinted by permission from “ The Musctims Journal 
October, 1910. 
THE DECAY OF STONE ANTIQUITIES. 
By Tempest Anderson, D.Sc., President. 
[Read at the York Conference, 1910 .) 
(Plates VII., VIII.) 
The antiquities in the Museum Gardens at York have 
during the last few years shewn serious signs of decay. In 
this they are not singular; the Houses of Parliament, York 
Minster and many, perhaps most, stone buildings in towns 
are more or less affected, so that the question is of almost 
national importance. 
The cause has been put down to smoke, sulphuric acid 
from burning coal, and other causes ; waterglass, limewash, 
baryta water, and many other applications have been tried 
without any success, and the disease still spreads. Our 
stone is a magnesian limestone. Some years ago some objects 
in the lower storey of the Hospitium first began to be attacked ; 
our Council, acting on expert advice, decided that more air 
