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204 Experiments on Putrefattion—Letter from Mr. Cogan. [O&. 4, 
To the Editor of the Mouthly Magazine. 
SIR, wees 
N anfwer to the queries on putrefaction, 
propofed by your Correlpondent W. 
N. from Portfmouth, in your Magazine 
for .Ogtober laft, I can mention that I 
commenced fome experiments on this fub- 
ject feveral years ago. I now rejate them, 
but Tam forry at the fame time to ob- 
ferve, that they will not prove a full and 
fatisfactory anfwer to the ingenious quef- 
tions propofed. 
In the year 1796, while conduéting 
fome experiments on animal electricity, 
which have been fince read in two papers 
before the Royal Society, I made the fol- 
lowing, March 6, 4796: I placed a bit 
of raw frefh beef in oxygen, and a piece 
alfo in hydrogen-gas. On the if of 
April following, both pieces of beef were 
taken out very foetid to the fmell. The 
piece in the oxygen felt firm and was very 
red ; the other was very flabby and dark- 
coloured, particularly at its upper furface, 
the under part being fomewhat redder.— 
The one that had been in the oxygen-gas 
was red throughout. A piece of beef 
placed as a ftandard in the common atmo- 
iphere had not become putrid ; but this 
was probably owing to its having become 
dry, whereas thofe in the glaffes were kept 
moift by the confined exhalation from the 
water. ‘Thermometer in the room varied 
from 40 to 58. 
On Wednefday, March 9, 1796, I 
placed a fmall piece of butter in oxygen- 
gas, {obtained from Manganefe) under a 
common tumbler ; I alfo at the fame time 
placed another piece under a glafs contain- 
ing hydrogen. On the Saturday follow- 
ing both pieces of butter were taken from 
their refpcétive fituations. The piece 
from the oxygen was perfectly rancid to 
the tafte, fomewhat like tallow, ard had 
become white; a lighted piece of paper 
burnt with a bright and enlarged flame in 
the gas. The piece from the hydregen 
was not in the leaft rancid, but was per- 
feétly {weet, and had acquired a higher 
colour than when firft put in. The gas 
exploded on the approach of a lighted ta- 
pere lam, Sir, your's &c. 
G.D. Yeats. 
Bedford, Augufi 27, 1803- 
P. S. The above anfwer was written foon 
after the queries appeared, but was thrown by 
with fome other papers, and was forgotten 
amidft my profefficnal avocations, till it pre- 
fented itfelf to view in looking over thefe pae 
pers. If you think the anfwer of Sufficient 
importance, it is much at your fervice for in- 
fertion in your inftructive and entertaining 
Mifcellany. Experiments conduéted with a 
view of difcovering what effedis the different 
gaffes poffefs in the vinous, acetous, and pu- 
trefaGtive fermentations would perhaps throw 
confiderable light upon the nature of thofe 
procefies. I had it in my contemplation 
fome years ago to perform experiments of this 
kind upon a larger feale : but having fince 
commenced the practice of the medical pro- 
feffion, and having alfo beén fince connected 
with an infirmary lately eftablifhed here, I 
have been obliged, from other avocations, to 
lay afide the idea for the prefent. 
a 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, . 
HE following obfervations and con- 
jetures on certain paflages of the 
Greek and Koman Claffics are very much 
at your fervice. 
A magno Tragedie patre aufpicemurs 
Agam. v. 101, for daweo’, we may not 
ineiegantly read caso’. Vide Piers: Ve- 
rim: p. 72. I thould not, however, with 
this meft elegant {cholar read spavenve for 
mpocnye in Eur: Androm: v.27. I can 
hardiy abandon a conjecture into which 
Reifke alfo has fallen, namely, T2ONYE—e 
Nifi me laGafes amaniem, et falfa [pe pro 
duceres, 
The mention of Pierfon brings to my 
mind a conjecture on the Ion of Euripides, 
v. 617, where for Sapuaxoy, averimoy he 
propoles me/ri caufa, avarnpoav. Bue 
fince the fagacious difcovery otf Profeffor 
Porfon, repecting the avape/ in the fifth’ 
foot of the Iambic line, this alteration 
will {carcely be admitted. Mr. Wake- 
field more happily reads depaneyv ve ava- 
Tim, Forté melius, avariAoy TE papiuanwy, 
avacyscs occupies this flation of the verte, — 
both in Euripides and Sophocles. 
I have wavered fomewhat with refpect 
to the following paflage in the Hecuba of ‘ 
Euripides, v. 13, 6 xat we yng ‘umekerepeer, 
but Iam at length inclined, with Brunk | 
and Mr. Wakefield, to confider o as here: 
ufed for &’¢. Among other reafons’the 
following has weight with me, that when- 
é has this meaning, xa: frequently, perhaps 
generally, follows. Vide Phoenifl: v. 270. 
Apollon: Rhod: i. 205, 767. 
In this fame firft book of Apollonius 
there isa paflage which appears to be 
flightly corrupted. 
*H, nas 6 peev doperiyya oy apeCpootn oryeey audi 
Te O° aproroy AnEavros eTs WPUNWTC Hapnva 
PIU EES Ope c25* 
That 
