1808. | 
refult of an experiment which was infi- 
tuted with a view to afcertain the faéts 
above afferted, and witich, fo far as we 
know, is the only trial of the kind that has 
been noticed or made in this country.— 
a\fier the middle of May 1801, two old 
appie-trees, the one a {mall nonfuch, and 
the other a large Dutch codlin, were com- 
pletely ftript of their bark, from the root 
to the top of the trunk... They were at 
that time blofloming, and were not affect- 
ed by the operation that was performing 
upon them during any part of that procefs. 
They afterwards proceeded to fructify. 
The fruit of the latter was of the ufual 
fize, but that of the former very fmail. 
Inthe autumn their leaves appeared to 
decay rather fooner than thofe of their con- 
geners. Inthe fpring of 1802 both the 
trees in queftion fhewed buds, but of thofe 
of the nonfuch very few {pread into leaf. 
The codlin, however, bloflomed, and pro- 
duced apples at the regulaf time ; but the 
growth of the fiuit was checked before it 
had attained half its ufual fze. Other 
fymptoms of debility foon fucceeded, and’ 
this unfortunate {ubje€t appeared to re- 
ceive an untimely death long before the 
other trees fhed their leaves: the other 
feemed to have died in the month of May. 
Now though the refult of this experiment 
did not corre pond with the reprefenta- 
tion of Dr. Mitchill, it may not prove ufe- 
lefs in afcertaining the phyfiology of the 
bark. The codlin tree was excoriated to 
the height of tweive teet, and could only 
make an imperfect attempt, to the extent 
of half an inch in length, in renew ing its 
bark ; yet, as we have flated, it went 
through its natural proceffes for nearly 
two feafons with its accuftomed vigour.— 
Can the bark, then, be the channel, 2s is 
commonly fuppofed, through which the 
fap iscirculated >? That the bark is of 
importance to the tree is evident from the 
refult of this experiment: but may not 
the utility of it, like that of the cuticle of 
the animal fyitem, principally confilt in 
preferving the body from external isjury ? 
The denuded trees were affected by feve- 
ral long fiffures, which appear to have 
been produced by the alterations of heat 
and cold, and from thefe injuries feem to. 
have immediately received their death.— 
If the body of denuded trees were pro- 
tected by matting, or other effeCual 
means, from the effects of the weather, 
would they experience the injuries above 
ftated ? That experiment delerves.to be 
tried. 
Dr.Butrraz, a Ruffian phyfician, late- 
ly in London, has bien commiffioned by 
Literary and Philofophical- Intelligence. 
443 
the Empercr of Ruffia to travel through 
that empire for the purpofe of extending 
the vaccine inoculation. 
M. VauQuetin has fhewn by a num- 
ber of experiments, that pruffic acid ex- 
ifts, completely formed, in all bitter ker- 
nels, and in thofe of apr’cots, by whicls 
he has confirmed the difcoveries of M. 
Schrader on this fubjeét. As the refule 
of thefe experiments he obferves : 1. That 
bitter almonds, the kernels of apriccts, 
and without doubt thofe of peaches, cher- 
ries, &c. contain a fmal] quantity of pruf- 
lic acid, completely developed, and capa- 
ble of forming a green precipitate wi:h 
iron, which proves that it is oxygena‘ed. 
z. That when we take orgeat, emulfions, 
or any other compolition in which bitter 
almonds are empioyed, we take at the 
fame time a certain quantity of preffic 
acid. 3. That we are now enabled to ac- 
count for the fimilar effects produced on 
birds, and even on men, by the diltilled 
liquor of bitter almonds, of the bay-tree, 
and pruffic acid. 4. That pruffic agid 
muit henceforward be accounted one of 
the immediate principles of vegetables. 
The fame Chemift has made many ex- 
periments on the juice of the papaw-tree, 
from which he infers, that it poffeffes aij 
the properties belonging to animal fub- 
ftances, and particularly to the albumen 
of blocd, for the manner in which it aig 
with acids, metaliic folutions, alkohol; the 
infufion of gall-nuts, fire, &c. is perfectly 
fimilar to that efalbumen. Hence it fole 
lows, that nature has given to certain kinds 
of plants the faculty of forming fimilar 
compoiitions to thofe produced by the anj- 
mal organization. ° 
Another new metal is faid to have been 
difcovered, which is called palladium, or 
new filver. It poffefles the tollowing pro- 
perties. ©. It diflolyes in pure f{piit of 
nitre, and makes a daik red Jolution. 2. 
Green vitriol throws it down in a fate of 
regulus from this folution, as it always 
does gold trom agua-regia. 3. If thefo- 
lution be evaporated, a red calx is obtain- 
ed, that diflolves in fpirit of fait or other 
ac'ds. 4. It is thrown down by quick- 
filver, and by all the metals, except gold, 
platina, and filver. 5. Its fpecific gravity 
by bammering was only 11.3; but by 
flatting, it is as much as 11.8.6. Ina 
common fire it tarnifhes a little and turns 
blue, but comes bright again, like the 
other noble metals, when ftrongly treated. 
7. The greateft heat of a biackfmith’s 
fire would hardly melt it. 8. But if it 
be touched while hot with a fmall bit of 
fulphur, it runs as eafily as zinc, > 
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