628 
to the mayor and inhabitants of New 
York, it is propofed by them to recom- 
mend to Congrefs a general prohibition of 
all communication with the Weft India 
Iflands throughout the States during the 
months of July, Auguft and September. 
This propofal, however, has not been 
brought forward. - 
Thofe who deny the importation of the 
difeafe, and affert 1t.to be of home growth, 
go fo far even as to doubt its contagious 
nature in any circumftances—an opinion 
which we imagine to be highly dange- 
rous and not at all eftablifhed by the de- 
tached faéts which are brought forward. 
‘In other refpects this idea of the origin of 
the difeafe is certainly likely to be of ge- 
neral fervice to the health of the American 
towns, by inducing the inhabitants to pay 
particular attention to the cleanlinefs of 
their ftreets, houfes and warehoufes, in 
which at prefent they feem rather deficient. 
We cannot help noticing the acrimony 
with which this controverfy concerning the 
origin of the fever is carried on; even in 
the letter from the General Committee of 
Citizens in Philadelphia to thofe in New 
Mr. Brewin’s Patent for Tanning. 
[Sept 
York, they begin by declining to enter 
upon this controverfy, ‘more irritating 
than profitable.” 
Dr. MITCHILL, of New York, who 
appears to take an active part in the 
controverfy concerning the. origin of the 
Yellow Fever, has advanced fome very 
fingwlar opinions concerning the nature of 
peltilence. He fuppofes it tobe occafioned 
by azote in its uncombined flate, or only 
united with thofe qualities of oxygen ne- 
ceflary to conftitute it refpe€tively oxyd 
of azote, nitrous gas, and nitrous acid. 
The produétion of azote from putrefcent - 
animal matter, and the feptic properties of 
this. acid of peftilence, which would 
‘* threaten ruin. to the animated world,” 
he conceives are beft kept under by alka- 
lies and alkaline earths, and hence their 
ufe in cleanfing and purifying from the 
contagion of putrefcence. This has led 
him togive to azote the name of /epton; and 
thus throughout the nomenelatural conju- 
gation, the nitric acid feptic acid, feptate 
of lime, feptate of potash, &c. ‘Thisterm 
appears to be coming into fafhion with the 
medical men in the United States. 

NEW PATENTS LATELY ENROLLED. 
MR. BREWIN’S FOR TANNING. 
N the 15th of June 1799, Letters 
Patent were granted toMr. BREWIN; 
Tanner, of the Grange, Bermondfey, for 
a new and improved method of tanning.— 
Mr. Brewin defcribes his invention in 
the following terms: ‘¢ Provide,” fays he, 
‘© twenty-four vats, with an eye in each 
fimilar to a leak eye, but two feet in height 
will be fufficient, and the bottom fhould be 
about four inches lower than.the bottom of 
the vat, in order that the whole of the 
coze may be pumped out of the vat, 
and twelve leaks that fhall each contain 
half as much more as each of the vats, 
alfo with the eye four inches deeper than 
the bottom of the leak, planted and num- 
bered according to the plan in the margin 
hereof. 
"(25/262 7/2.8)2.9)30]3 113213 3134 35136 
ath Spy at 24 WatSe 

eens eomeeee femme | eaten | mee | ees fe | eer | ee cee | | ees 
tola1 2 3124) 12 Leaks. 
The quality or ftrength of the oozes is 
denoted in each of the 12 leaks and 12 
loweft numbered vats, by the number of 
each, the higheft number being the ftrongeft 
eoze, and the loweft number the weakett 
ooze. Make the whole of the leaks and 
alfo the laft mentioned vats, in the fame 
manner that a common fet of leaks are 
ufually made, but with thefe exceptions: 
inftead of filling up the leaks at dif- 
ferent times with bark, put into each leak 
the whole quantity at once; and inftead of 
putting bark in the vats, put in fuch a _ 
quantity of hides, or fkins, as may be 
deemed confiftent with the fize of the vats 
(which in general fhould be the greeneft 
goods in the yard), and handle them as 
often as may appear neceflary, judging 
from the ftate and quality of the goods, 
and the ftrength of the oozes. ‘The other 
r2 vats fill, fo far as that will contain the 
ufual quantity of goods, with oozes 
drawn from the beft leaks, as often as the 
oozes in the courfe of making the leaks 
fhall appear to be of a defirable ftrength, 
into which put’ the remainder of your 
goods. An ooze of ten times the ftrength 
of the beft oozes that aré in general uled 
will be better than a ftronger. Suppofing 
the whole of the vats and leaks to be com- 
pleatly in work, as foon as any of the 
oozes in the vats numbered above 24 
fhall appear to be ina fmall degree fpent, 
and that the bark in the leak next better 
than the greeneft pack is fo far {pent 
as that the ooze and water will after- 
wards, in the courfe of working the leaks, 
be fufficient to compleatly {pend it; ae 
cee 
