The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1872-04-12
INTERESTING EXPERIMENTS.
TnsensibiIffy Ofthe Human Body TO
Molten Iron.

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friends and admirers, NJ. Boutigny
raised the question whether there
existed connection between the
spherodial condition and the singu-
lar fact that if the hand be wet it
may pass through a stream of mol
ten iron or lead without harm.
Many months elapsed before the ex-
quisitIveness of the French investi-
gator was satisfied by witnessing
such an experiment himself. In
asking once among the workingmen
Of a foundry in Paris whether one of
them could toss with his fingers the
fused metal, he was not only ridi-
culed, but shown the door. But
finally he became acquainted with
a metallurgist in the French-Comte,
who promised to investigate the
matter. On the 26th of March,
1S49, this person was able to write:
"Ihe workmen generally laughed
at me when I asked them whether
they could dip their fingers into
molten iron witout injury; but at
last workman in the foundry of
Magny told me that he considered
nothing more easy, and, to prove it,
he passed a finger through a glow
ing stream as it was flowing from
the furnace. One employe repeat
ed the experiment, and hereby en-
couraged 1 did the same. None
made the finger wet"
Boutigny now hesitated no long
er to try those experiments on him
self, and he was not only able to
perform the same feat, but he pass
ed his hand through a stream of
cast iron Of two inches IN thickness
when it shot from the tapping-nole,
and Immediately afterwards dipped
the hand into a ladle filed with
molten iron. IF it is asked, he
writes, what precautions are to be
taken to protect ourselves from the
fiery glow, 1 answer: Danish the
fear, and proceed confidently to ex-
pertinent. The hand is to be i'm
mersed quickly, but not too precip-
itately, into the fluid metal. This
is all to be observed. The wonder
of antiquity has thus been explained,
and shown to be only physical phe-
nomenon. It is well to have the
hands mO1stened, yet the involun-
tary fear that will overcome any one
at the thought Of such bold under
taking nearly always give rise to
perspiration, by which every part
of the body will be sufficiently moist.
But if one will get perfectly invul-
nerable, the hand is to be rubbed
with soap, so that obtains a smooth
surface, It is dipped into a cold So
luton of sulphur0u5 acid in sal-am
moniac, or into water containing
sal-ammoniac, or simply ia cold
water.
IL the finger is first dipped IN al
cOhol, a tolerable warmth is felt; If
with either a pleasant
coolness- Yet being very infam-
mable, these fluids should not be
made use of in experimenting with
iron. Still, they will not ignite in
the molten lead. The non-im-
part of the hand will turn
red and experience a painful feeling
on account of being exposed to the
radiant heat.
Though a great deal had been re-
lated o! such wonders, it was not
till they were placed before the
public as naked truths that they
commenced to excite sensation. |
When Boutigny repeated his exper-
iments before Professor PIucker,
in Bonn, the latter, by his own con
fession, left with the impression
that some yet undiscovered laws of |
nature came here into play. Soon |
after it was reported that me-
chanic in machine shop in Colonge
had made the trial with molten iron
and had offered himself to repeat it. !
In consequence thereof, Plucker, ac-
eompanied by several persons,
started for that city, where the
workman in their presence touched !
quickly with the dry ends of his |
fingers the surface Of a mass of fluid |
metal that had just left the furnace.
Encouraged thereby, the bystanders
them selves began to manipulate. |
One dashed the fiat and previouly |
hand with such vehe- |
mence against the molten iron that !
a portion Of it was splashed around; /
another ladled the metal with his |
hollow hand. PIucker himself Dip |
ped the index finger of his right /
hand into the fluid, Withdrawing it |
again uninjured after moving in it !
for few seconds. He felt how the
iron fed from the finger, but expe-
rienced no sensation of heat. He |
would not have estimated the tenn
perature of the metal at IS degrees
F., albeit it must have been about |
2,750 degrees T. The little hairs
had disappeared from his finger,
but the nails had not suffered IN the !
least. Finally an experiment was
tried that properly ought to have |
preceded any other. The finger |
of kid glove, moistened inside, !
Was drawn around a wooden stick, /
and then kept for one minute in the |
fluid metal. On Withdrawing It, !
the glove only indicated a tempera- /
ture of 158 degrees F.
The testimonials in behalf Of /
these puzzling accounts increased !
In all directions. Professor Rose
stated that thirty years ago, during |
a visit in metallurgical establish
ment in Ayestad, Sweden, he saw a
workman who, for a small renumer-
alton, threw molten copper against I
a wall which he skinned of from /
a crucible with his hand. Dumas /
called attention to very old usage /
performed In glass-works. /
A molten mass of glass is poured /