Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1844-11-29

mates. This opinion, which we know
now to be erroneous, was strengthened by
the result Of some experiments made by
the celebrated Fahrenheit himself, aud re-
lated by Boerhauve. Some animals were
shut up in a sugar-baker's stove, where
the mercury stood at l46 deg. A sparrow
died in less than seven minutes, cat IN
rather more than quarter OF an hour, and
a dog in about twenty-eight minutes. The
no9iouS air OF the stove had probably more
to do with the speedy deaths Of these ami
mals than the heat.
The truth upon this subject may be said
to have been discovered by accident. In
the years 1850 and l7Gl, M. M. Duhamel
and Jilett were appointed to devise some
means Of destroying an insect which con
sumed the grain in the province OF Argou-
mais, in France. They found that this
could be done by subjecting the coin, and
the insects contained in it, in All oven, to
a degsee Of heat great enough to kill the
insect, but not so great as to hurt the
grain. In order 10 ascertain the precise
heat of the oven, they introduced into it
thermometer, placed upon the end Of a
long shovel. The mercury, when the
thermometer was withdrawn, was found
to indicate degree of heat considerably
above that Of boiling water. But Mr.. Jill
lett was aware that the thermometer had
sunk several degrees as it was drawn to
wards the mouth Of the oven. While he
was puzzled to invent some way Of deter
mining more exactly the actual degree o.
heat, girl, who was one Of the attendant:
offered to go in and mark with a pencI
the height at which the mercury stood
and she did enter the oven, and remained
there two or three minutes, and then mar
ked thermometer at 100 degrees Of Reau
!uar, which nearly equals 260 deg. Fab
renheit. M. Jllett then began to express
some anxiety for the safety OF the girl, bu
she assured him she felt no inconvenience
and remained in the oven ten minute
longer, during which time the mercur,
reached 288 deg. Fahrenheil's scale-de
noting76 deg. OF heat above that of wate
when it boils. When she came out, he
complexiou was considerably heightened
but her respiration was by no means qulc
or laborous. This experiment was aitel
o wards repeated. Another girl RENAME
o in the oven as the former had done, at tn
same temperature, and with the same in
e punity. Nay, she even breathed, for tn
o space Of five minutes, air heated to abou
Il 325 deg. OF Fahrenheil--or / 10 deg. ahoV
e hat OF boiling water.
- The publication OF these facts natural
n excited the curiosity of scientific men, an
other experiments were soon institute
a. DR.. Dobson, OF Liverpool, and several OF
y aT persons with him, shut themselves I
lg n the sweating room Of the hospitals the
is the air having been heated ill the me
smry stood at 2A4 degrees of F-hronhc
he They did not experience any oppress
or painful sensation OF heat. Dr.. Fordy
and Dr. BIagden made some remarkat
trials of the same kind. They entert
rooms artfcially heated to a very high d
gree, sometimes naked, and sOrnetm
with their clothes on, and bore the eXtr
IL ordinary temperature Of $50, and even @
degrees for considerable time, with We
es little inconvenience. In all these exp
u riments, it was found that the amin
an heat, as ascertained by thermometers po
.ra ed under the tongue, Or graspedt in t
,st hand, was scarcely increased at all, a
on respiration bu! little effected; tut the puI
If was very much quickened. The ireque
ry cy of DR.. Blagden's pulse in one instan
,ht was doubled. Their watch-chaIns a
We other pieces of metal about them, becal
as so hot that they could scarcely be touche
ST. When they b,eathed upon the thermom
al. ter, the mercury Immediately s1ntk sew,
,ti- al degrees. Every act Of respiration p
M duced pleasant feeling Of GOODNESS in
ite nostrils and they cooled their fingers
nd breathing upon them. nand by the sal
en heated air which they respired, eggs w
ra. roasted quite hard in twenty minutes, a
az beef-steaks were dressed in thirty-th
the minues. And when ,the air was blo'
ow upon the meat by means Of a bellows,
est, was sufficiently cooked in thirteen m
,Ier utes.
rat 90:: :"G
NHrTt is with unaloyed pleasure