The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-03-12
A STRANGE PHENOMENON.
OF the Human Body tt
Molten Lead.

Partly prompted by his own experiments,
parlly caused by his friends and admirers, NJ.
Bouiiyny raised the question whether there
existed connection between the spheroidal
condition and the singular fact that II the
hand be wet 1t may be passed through stream
OF molten iron or lead without harm. Many
months elapsed before the inqusilive1ess OF
of the French Investigator was satisfied by
witnessing such an experiment himself. In
asking once among the wOrkmen Of foundry
in Paris. whether one of them could toss with
his fingers tile fused metal, he was not only
ridiculed but shown the door. But hna'ly ne
b,came acquainted with metallnrgist IN the
Franche. .Comte who promised 10 investigate
the matter. On the 26th OF Marcn, lS49, tnls
nerson was able to write: "The workmen gen.
eraIly langbed at me when asked them wheth.
er they cou,d dip their fingers into molten iron
without. injury; but at last workman In the
foundry of Magny told me that he considered
noIhIng more easy, and to prove II, he passed
a fnrer through q glowing stream as 1t was
flowing from the furnace. one employee re-.
peal ed the experiment.. and hereby e1cour.
aged, did the same. None male me nnger
wet" Boutigny now hesitated no longer to
try those experiments on himself, and he was
not orly able 10 perform The same feat, but he
passed his hand through stream of cast iron
OF two inches thickness when 1t shot from the
tanpInr-hole. and Immediately afterwards
djpped the hand into ladle filed with molten
iron. Ifit Is asked, he writes, What precau-
lions are 10 be taken to protect ourselves from
the fiery glow, answer: ,1n banisn Inc lear, Tha
hand is to be immersed quickly, but not too
precipitalely, into the fluid metal. This is oil
that is to be observed. The wonder OF anti
nnitv mas thus been explained, and shown to
he onIy o physical phenomenon. 1t Is well
10 have the hands moislened, YET Inc lnVol-
untary fear that will overcome any one at
the thought OF such polo unaertaKlhg
which every part of the body will become suf1-
cientIy moist. But II one will get perfectly
inyulnerable, the hand is to be rubbed With
soan. an that It obtains smooth surface, or it
Ia dinnpd into cold solution OF sulphurous
acid In sal-ammoniac, or into water contain
inp sal.ammouiac. or simply IN cold waller.
If the finger is first dipped Into alcohol q
tolerabIe warmth is felti II molstenea WIN
ether, pleasant cooiness. ieG, Delng very
mse of In experimenting with iron. Sill,
thew would NOT ignite in molten lead. The
non.immersed part of the hand will turn red
and eYnerIence painful feeling, on account
of being exposed to the radiant heat.
In lecture which Boutlgny delivered IN the
Academy of Sciences in Paris, on the l4th OF
May, ls49, he said: After lapse OF Ten
years. II was permllIeu w uIo " w ~ ~
q with tn imuunity In glowing cast-iron. The
oreat Importauce which thorough study of
the sphrroidaI. condition possesses may be
denied. If one chooses to DO 80. The part
which il viii sooner or later play in science
NAV W be " denied. but that shall not care for.
I have formerly stated that mention OF this
condition is made in the Bible, and many
other accounts seem also to prove that the
ancents possessed more extended knoWI-
Tbsy were. perhaps, ignorant of little things,
as f3r instance of a thousandth part OF de-
gree, but they were certainly aware OF the
Sreat effect. certain number of historl-
cal e statements, which are still considered as
being fabulous, may be. true. The ancient
philosophers knew, perhaps, many facts OF
which We have no knowledge. A little more
esteem ior them would not be out OF place."