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sometimes break above and pour over it, doing great damage.

That this effect might in any degree be prevented, or the height and violence of waves in the sea moderated, we had no certain account; Pliny's authority for the practice of seamen in his time being slighted. But discoursing lately on this subject with his excellency Count Bentinck of Holland, his son the honourable Captain Bentinck, and the learned Professor Allemand (to all whom I shewed the experiment of smoothing in a windy day the large piece of water at the head of the Green Park ;) a letter was mentioned which had been received by the Count from Batavia, relative to the saving of a Dutch ship in a storm, by pouring oil into the sea. I much desired to see that letter, and a copy of it was promised me, which Lafterwards received*.

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* Extrait d'une Lettre de Mr.Tengnagel à Mr. le Comte de Bentinck, écrite de Batavia le 15 Janvier, 1770.

Près des isles Paulus & Amsterdam nous essuiames un orage, qui n'eut rien d'assez particulier pour vous être marqué, si non qui notre capitaine se trouva obligé, en tournant sous le vent, de verser de l'huile contre la haute mer, pour empecher les vagues de se briser contre le navire, ce qui réussit à nous conserver, & a été d'un très bon effet: comme il n'en versa qu'une petite quantité á la fois, le compagnie doit peut-être son vaisseau à six demi aumes d'huile d'olive: j'ai été présent quand cela s'est fait, et je ne vous aurois pas entretenu de cette circonstance, si ce n'étoit que nous avons trouvé les gens ici si prévenus contre l'expérience, que les officiers du bord ni moi n'avons fait aucune difficulté de donner un certificat de la vérité sur ce chapitre.

the

the sea, the waves might be so much depressed and lessened before they reached the shore, as to abate the height and violence of the surf, and permit a landing; which, in such circumstances, was a point of sufficient importance to justify the expence of the oil that might be requisite for the purpose. That gentleman, who is ever ready to promote what may be of public utility, though his own ingenious inventions have not always met with the countenance they merited, was so obliging as to invite me to Portsmouth, where an opportunity would probably offer, in the course of a few days, of making the experiment on some of the shores about Spithead, in which he kind ly proposed to accompany me, and to give assistance with such boats as might be necessary. Accordingly, about the middle of October last, I went with some friends to Portsmouth; and a day of wind happening, which made a lee-shore between Haslar Hospital and the point near Jillkecker, we went from the Centaur with the longboat and barge towards that shore. Our disposition was this; the longboat was anchored about a quarter of a mile from the shore; part of the company were landed behind the point (a place more sheltered from the sea) who came round and placed themselves opposite to the long-boat, where they might observe the surf, and note if any change occurred in it, upon using the oil. Another party in the barge, plied to windward of the long-boat, as far from her as she was from the shore, making trips of about half a mile each, pouring oil continually out of a large stonebottle, through a hole in the cork,

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somewhat bigger than a goosequill. The experiment had not, in the main point, the success we wished; for no material difference was observed in the height or force of the surf upon the shore; but those who were in the long-boat could observe a tract of smoothed water, the whole length of the distance in which the barge poured the oil, and gradually spreading in breadth towards the long-boat. I call it smoothed, not that it was laid level, but because, though. the swell continued, its surface was not roughened by the wrinkles, or smaller waves, before mentioned and none, or very few white caps (or waves whose tops turn over in foam) appeared in that whole space, though to windward and leeward of it there were plenty; and a wherry, that came round the point under sail, in her way to Portsmouth, seemed to turn into that tract of choice, and to use it from end to end, as a piece of turnpikeroad.

It may be of use to relate the circumstances even of an experiment that does not succeed, since they may give hints of amendment in future trials: it is therefore I have been thus particular. I shall only add what I apprehend may have been the reason of our disappointment.

I conceive, that the operation of oil on water is, first, to prevent the raising of new waves by the wind; and, secondly, to prevent its pushing those before raised with such force, and consequently their continuance of the same repeated height, as they would have done, if their surface were not oiled But oil will not prevent waves being raised by another power, by a stone,

for

pour oil in sufficient quantity. Fu ture experiments may determine this.

I was, however, greatly obliged to Captain Bentinck, for the chearful and ready aids he gave me : and I ought not to omit mentioning Mr. Banks, Dr. Solander, General Carnac, and Dr. Blagden, who all assisted at the experiment, during that blustering unpleasant day, with a patience and activity that could only be inspired by a zeal for the improvement of knowledge, such especially as might possibly be of use to men in situations of distress.

I would wish you to communicate this to your ingenious friend, Mr. Farish, with my respects; and believe me to be, with sincere esteem,

for instance, falling into a still
pool; for they then rise by the me-
chanical impulse of the stone, which
the greasiness on the surrounding
water cannot lessen or prevent, as
it can prevent the wind's catching
the surface, and raising it into
waves. Now waves once raised,
whether by the wind or any other
power, have the same mecha-
nical operation, by which they
continue to rise and fall, as a pen-
dulum will continue to swing a
long time after the force ceases to
act by which the motion was first
produced: that motion will, how-
ever, cease in time; but time is
necessary. Therefore, though oil,
spread on an agitated sea, may
weaken the push of the wind on
those waves whose surfaces are
covered by it, and so, by receiving
less fresh impulse, they may gra.
dually subside; yet a considerable
time, or a distance through which
they will take time to move, may
be necessary to make the effect sen-
sible on any shore in a diminution
of the surf: for we know, that,
when wind ceases suddenly, the
waves it has raised do not as sud-
denly subside, but settle gradually,
and are not quite down till long
after the wind has ceased. So
though we should, by oiling them,
take off the effect of wind on waves
already raised, it is not to be ex-
pected that those waves should be
instantly levelled. The motion
they have received will, for some
time, continue; and, if the shore
is not far distant, they arrive there
so soon, that their effect upon it
will not be visibly diminished. Pos- of
sibly, therefore, if we had begun
our operations at a greater distance,
the effect might have been more
sensible. And perhaps we did not

Dear Sir,

Your most obedient

humble servant,

B. FRANKLIN.

An Account of a 'Woman accidentally burnt to death at Coventry. By B. Wilmer, Surgeon; at Coventry. In a Letter to Mr. William Sharpe.

From the Philosophical Transactions.

SIR,

THE following case, which has

lately engaged the attention every one in this part of the world, appears to me so very extraordinary, that I was determined, to give you a minute account of its circumstances; which will be the

more

more agreeable to you, as you may depend upon the truth of every thing that I shall relate to you concerning it.

Mary Clues, of Gosford-street, in this city, aged 52 years, was of an indifferent character, and much addicted to drinking. Since the death of her husband, which happened about a year and a half ago, her propensity to this vice increased to such a degree, that, as I have been informed by several of her neighbours, she has drank the quantity of four half-pints of rum, undiluted with any other liquor, in a day. This practice was so familiar to her, that scarce a day has passed this last twelvemonth, but she has swallowed from half a pint to a quart of rum or anniseed-water. Her health gradually declined; and, from being a jolly, well-looking woman, she grew thinner, her complexion altered, and her skin became dry. About the beginning of February last, she was attacked with the jaundice, and took to her bed. Though she was now so helpless, as hardly to be able to do any thing for herself, she continued her old custom of dram-drinking, and generally smoked a pipe every night. No one lived with her in the house. Her neighbours used, in the day, frequently to come in, to see after her; and in the night, commonly, though not always, a person sat up with her; to whom she has often cried out, that she saw the devil in some part of the room, who was come to take her away.

Her bed-room was next the street, on the ground-floor, the walls of which were plaistered, and the floor made of bricks. The chimney is small, and there was a grate in it, which, from its size, could contain

but a very small quantity of fire. Her bedstead stood parallel to, and at the distance of about three feet from the chimney. The bed's head was close to the wall. On the other side the bed, opposite the chimney, was a window opening to the street. One curtain only belonged to the bed, which was hung on the side next the window, to prevent the light being troublesome. She was accustomed to lie upon her side, close to the edge of the bedstead, next the fire; and on Sunday morning, March the 1st, tumbled upon the floor, where her helpless state obliged her to lie some time, till Mary Hollyer, her next neighbour, came accidentally to see her. With some difficulty she got her into bed. The same night, though she was advised to it, she refused to have any one to sit up with her; and, at half past eleven, one Brooks, who was an occasional attendant, left her as well as usual, locked up her door, and went home. He had placed two bits of coal quite backward upon the fire in the grate, and put a small rush-light in a candlestick, which was set in a chair, near the head of the bed; but not on the side where the curtain was. At half after five the next morning, a smoak was observed to come out of the window in the street; and, upon breaking open the door, some flames were perceived in the room, which, with five or six buckets of water, were easily extinguished. Betwixt the bed and fire-place lay the remains of Mrs. Clues. The legs and one thigh were untouched. Except these parts, there were not the least remains of any skin, muscles, or viscera. The bones of the skull, thorar, spine, and the upper extremities,

extremities, were completely calcined, and covered with a whitish efflorescence. The skull lay near the head of the bed, the legs toward the bottom, and the spine in a curved direction, so that she appeared to have been burnt on her right side, with her back next the grate. The right femur was separated from the acetabulum of the ischium; the left was also separated, and broken off about three inches below the great trochanter. The connection of the sacrum with the ossa innominata, and the inferior vertebra of the loins were destroyed. The intervening ligaments kept the vertebra of the loins, back, and neck together, and the skull was still resting upon the atlas. When the flames were extinguished, it ap peared that very little damage had been done to the furniture of the room, and that the side of the bed next the fire had suffered most. The bedstead was superficially burnt, but the feather-bed, sheets, blankets, &c. were not destroyed. The curtain on the other side of the bed was untouched, and a deal door, near the bed, not in the least injured. I was in the room about two hours after the mischief was discovered. I observed that the walls and every thing in the room were coloured black there was a very disagreeable vapor; but I did not observe, that any thing was much burnt, except Mrs. Clues; whose remains I saw in the state I have just described. I took away one of the bones (the remains of the sacrum) which you have inclosed with this letter. The only way that I can account for it is, by supposing that she again tumbled out of bed on Monday morning, and that her shift was set fire to, either by the candle from the

chair, or a coal falling from the grate; that her solids and fluids were rendered inflammable, by the immense quantity of spirituous li quors she had drank, and that when she was set fire to, she was probably soon reduced to ashes, for the room suffered very little. B. WILMER.

Coventry, April 9, 1772.

Observations on the Poison of Copper and Brass, and the very great danger attending the use of utensils made of these metals, and other mixed metals, wherein copper and brass make a part, especially in the preparing and keeping of food and phy sick, &c. By William Falconer, M. D. F. R. S.

WE

TE might imagine copper in its metallic form not very likely to find admission into the body; but I suspect it occurs oftener than is apprehended. Halfpence and farthings are frequently given to children to play with, and, as they generally put their toys into their mouths, they are often swallowed, or part of the copper abraded by their teeth. The last of the above circumstances is applicable to all toys whatever, for young children, made of brass or copper, or other mixed metals wherein cop per makes a part of the composition. I likewise believe, that sometimes copper in this form gains admission into our food, by the scraping of the bottoms of brass or copper pans, &c. especially when they contain some viscid substance, a sweetmeats, or some other food dressed with thick sauces. The like may happen from some of the coarser kind of spoons made of a mixed metal called ockamy, (cor

ruptly

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