1812 .] Virus destroyed hy Immersion in Water» 515 
Meteorological Essays, published some 
years ago, mentions,—that the beams of 
the Aurora are parallel to the situation 
of the Magnetic Dipping-Needle. If I 
mistake not, this is well worth the notice 
of philosopliers. 
A Constant Reader. 
Nov. 8, 1811. 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine, 
SIK, 
N answ-er to your correspondent, 
“ J. P.” on the shameful and scan¬ 
dalous practice of exposing wives to sale, 
I beg to say, that I do not at present 
recollect the origin of the custom; but 
the offenders (the seller and buyer) may 
be punished either by an information 
granted by the court of King^s Bench, 
or by an indictment preferred before a 
Grand Jury at the assizes, or quarter- 
sessions. 
It is to be observed, that many 
offences of the incontinent kind between 
man and wife, fall properly under the 
Jurisdiction of the ecclesiastical court, 
and are appropriated to it. But, except 
those appropriated cases, the court of 
King's Bench is the custos moriim of the 
people, and has the superintendency of 
offences contra bonos ?nores. 3 Burr. 
1438, and the above offence comes 
under this rule. H. R, 
Derby, Nov. 6, 1811. 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazirie. 
SIR, 
OU would be rendering an essential 
service to many of your readers, 
by inserting the following Queries re¬ 
specting gas-lights, in your valuable Ma¬ 
gazine, in hope some one of your corre¬ 
spondents, competent to the task, would 
answer them, and give such further in¬ 
formation as may be the result of actual 
experiment. N. E. B, 
Gloucester, Nov. 21, 1811. 
1. Will there be any saving of expense in 
substituting gas-lights for candles, when so 
lew as forty are in use? 
2. What is the best form for the retort, 
and what should be its size ? 
3. What size should the gasometer be ? 
4. What are the best and cheapest ma¬ 
terials for the different articles to be made 
with ? 
3. What is the proper size of the pipe 
which conveys the gas from the retort to the 
gasometer? 
6. What should be tlie diameter of the 
mnn pipe, supposing it to be thirty ir^ 
height, and a branch for ten lights insertel 
every eight feet ? 
7. What should be the size of the branch•^ 
ing pipes ? 
8. What the diameter of the openings of 
the stop-cocks, wlien a light is wanted equal 
to that produced by a candle, eight to the 
pound ? 
9. Is a round aperture the most proper, 
or w'ould a ring of light, as from an argand 
lamp, be preferable ? 
10. What is the best kind of coal to use 
for the production of the gas ? 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine^ 
SIR, 
T seems now to be generally admitted, 
that water destroys every species of 
virus, and, in some degree, I flatter my¬ 
self, it may be attributed to the humble 
exertions of individuals in Newspaper 
and Magazine communications. Above 
twenty years past, I was fully convinced 
of the truth, from the communications 
of a friend who had resided long at 
Smyrna and Damascus, without ever 
being under any appreiiension of being 
infected by the plague, owing to the 
simple precaution of passing every tiiiijg 
that came into the house tlirough water, 
at the time that disorder raged ; this was 
also communicated to me, in a conver¬ 
sation with the humane Howard, at 
Naples, when we were conversing on the 
subject of the galley-slaves’ hospital; and 
confirmed by Howard’s opinion, who, on 
that principle, w'as then resolving to visit 
the plague-hospitals at Constantinople. 
At my return to England, a scarlet 
fever broke out in a school in my neigh¬ 
bourhood, which twice returned with' the 
scholars, although the rooms were white¬ 
washed, the house new painted, the 
blankets scoured, &c. &c. And was 
at last stopped by putting all the gar¬ 
ments of the school-boys, even to hats 
and gloves, under water as they re¬ 
turned. 
This fever was brouglit into my own 
family, by a person who had been six 
months absent from the patient, after 
nursing one in that very contagi¬ 
ous disease, and w'ould have commu¬ 
nicated itself to my whole bouse, had I 
not checked its progress by this expe¬ 
dient, 
I therefore thought it a duty to pub¬ 
lish all I knew on tiiat subject, and con« 
tinned to do so every spring in all the 
papers I could get at; and, I have reason 
to believe, with great utility. Now indeed 
It seems £9- be too generally known to 
- need 
