1806. ] 
felt pain or uneafinefs from the ftretching 
of the fkin. Inthe progrefs of its dif- 
tenfion, however, he has four or five times 
had an eryfipelatous inflammation of the 
legs, which in a week or two was removed 
by proper treatment, but has been fuc- 
ceeded by a fcalinels and thickening of 
the fkin. His bulk has increafed gradu- 
ally from twenty years of age, His fa- 
‘yer and uncle were both Jarge men; but 
the weight of either did not exceed thirty 
ftone. ey 
Mr. SmirHson TENNANT has an- 
nounced his dilcovery of native minium in 
a vein of galena,in Devonfhire. A {mall 
quantity of this mineral was found in the 
centre of a piece of cubic galena, accom- 
panied with cryftals of fpar. 
The Royal College of Surgeons: of 
London has adjudged the Jackfonian 
prize for 1805, to John Hyflop, Efq. for 
the beft differtation on injuries of the head 
from external violenee. ‘The fubjeéts pro- 
pofed for this year are (1) The difeafes 
of the joints, particularly of the hip and 
knee, and the befi mode of treatment. 
(2) Hernia, and the beft mode of treat- 
ment. alia 
A letter has been read to the Anti- 
quarian Society from Mr. Morris at the 
Cape of Good Hope, containing accounts 
of the different Engiifh infcriptions found 
on ftones there, relating the arrival and 
departure of Sir Henry Middleton’s fleet 
of Eatt Tadiamen, in 1604 and 1609, be- 
ing the fourth voyage to India. Tohe in- 
inicriptions were on ftones placed in a 
conf{picuaus part of the fhore, and defign- 
ed as a notice for other Englith thips that 
might touch there. The fame writer 
fays, that he has feen the fluke of an an- 
chor on the fummit of Table Mountain, a 
height to which no human effort could pro-— 
babiy have carried it. 
Mr. Cotuarp, of Birmingham, has 
found that copper may be precipitated from 
its {olution in the fulphuric acid by means 
of tin. The fuccefs of the experiment de- 
pends upon the heat of the foiution, which 
mult be at or near the boiling point, 
when the tin is put into it. This difco- 
very may lead to fome very important re. 
{mlts. 
A copper mine has lately been difco- 
vered on the eftate of Hans Hamilton, 
Efq. in the county of Dublin, which is 
expected tobe very productive... 
Dr. Tuornron has laid before the 
public fome cafes which fhow the efficacy 
of vital air, or as it is ufually called, oxy- 
gen gas, inthe cure of fits. Thefe cafes 
Literary and Philofophical Intelligences 
447 
deemed by the faculty beyond the reach 
of human art, have been completely and 
radically cured by the continued ufe of 
the pneumatic medicine. According ta 
the doétor’s theory, vital-air gives energy 
to the mufcles, and thence to the nerves, 
taking off inordinate action from an un- 
due balance of principles. Hence he in- 
fers that. perfons breathing much bad air 
become convulfed: , 
Salr ig faid to have rendered’ barren 
apple-trees, in an’ orchard belonging to 
Mr. GiLperf, the late Duke of Bridge= 
water’s agent, highly productive of fruit, 
by being {pread on the ground round 
each tree at a {mall difiance from the 
trunks. 
The fyphon has lately been applied to 
the worm tub as a refrigerator, The 
pian is for conveying water in any quan- 
tity to a worm-tub-of the largeft dimen- 
fions, if perfectly airtight. The: feed- 
pipe enters the bottom of thetub vertically, 
while the hot water or wafte- pipe branches 
out froma fide-orifice near the top, and 
is foon turned to proceed vertically down- 
wards, until its lower end is about two 
feet below the bottom of the feed-pipe 5 
both the pipes have cocks near the lower 
ends. When the work is commenced, the 
cocks muft be fhut, and the tub filled 
through a hele at top; .when full, the 
hole at top mut be flopped, andthe cocks — 
both opened together; the water will 
then commence running, and continue 
as the fupply holds good ; the apparatus 
a&ting entirely upon the principie of the 
fyphon. 
Mr. Wattron has made an improve- 
ment in the beam-compafles, which con- 
fits in applying a nonius, worked by a 
micrometer ferew, to the moveable curfor. 
upon the beam; by means of which ad- 
ditional apparatus, diftances can be ac- 
eurately meafnred with the compaffes, ta 
every bundredth part of an imch, or the ra. 
dii of the propofed arcs adjufted to equally 
minute variations: while in beam-com- 
paffes of the common conftruttion, dif- 
tances can only be afcertained to tenths ox 
inches, , 
France. 
The Journal de Phyfique obferves that 
Peron and Sueur have collected nearly 
fixty animals of the clafs Mammalia, 
which they intend to defcribe in the ac- 
count of theic Trayels.5 HumBo.pT and 
.Bonepranp have alfo obferved a great 
number, and braught home feveral; of | 
which they intend to give an account in 
the relation of their Expedition. Apes 
are 
