us, gave each of us a walking stick, cut by the duke's own hand, in his last excursion. There was a large bundle of them done up by strings, and it seems it was the duke's custom, when he saw a stick that pleased him, to stop and cut it.

'Sir Peregrine Maitland, and his lady and family, lodged in the same house with us, at Montreal, and appeared plain, unassuming people. While there, they received the calls of the principal military and civil officers, and of the most distinguished private individuals; among the rest, came the veteran soldier of Wolfe, dressed in his scarlet uniform, and in the fashion of other days.'

ART. IV.-On Pyroligneous Acid.

THE National Recorder, Vol. 6, No. 16, published in this city, mentions professor Goerg (Foerg) of Leipsig, as having proved very satisfactorily, that the vinegar of wood, or pyrolygneous acid, possesses all the antiseptic powers that have been ascribed to it. The importance of this acid to anatomy, domestic economy and medicine, deserves to be more carefully examined, than it has been done in the above mentioned periodical paper, and a designation of the man to be given, to whom we are indebted for this valuable discovery.

Professor Meinicke of Halle, first mentioned the pyroligneous acid, as an antiseptic agent, in the preservation of meat. In his economic chemical pocket-book, published in Germany in the year 1815, he says, page 102: 'smoked and tender meat may be obtained of a peculiar and pleasant taste, in a very short time, in diluting it for a few days in wood-vinegar, by which agency it becomes throughout of a red col ur, and being afterwards exposed to the air, is soon desiccated.' Meinicke, in consequence of this quotation, has the first claim to the discovery of the use of pyroligneous acid, with regard to its antiseptic powers, and all the incalculable ad

vantages, which may arise from it for navigation, armies, economical and scientific subjects, are founded on his observation.

But, the state of incompetency, under which both the English and French nations labour, concerning a better knowledge of foreign languages, has sometimes led them into very serious errors, such as to ascribe to themselves a discov. ery, which had been previously found out by another nation. This was again the case with the use of pyroligneous acid. For, in the year 1819, Mangé, in France, was considered as the happy discoverer of the properties of this acid, against the putrefaction of organic bodies, whilst it was known in Germany three or four years ago, although its extensive qualities were then only employed in domestic economy. Thus, Mangé has the only merit of having enlarged the stock of our knowledge on this subject, of which Dr. Sedillot has given a very favourable account to the French Academy of sciences.

According to this account, the pyroligneous acid has the property of preventing the putrefaction of animal bodies. Meat, which is diluted for a few moments only in the acid, may be preserved to any desirable length of time. Ribs,cotelettes, liver, kidneys, rabbits, &c. had been preserved in the best state during eleven months, and were as fresh as if they had just been brought from market. Corpses, which had been bathed in this acid, did not show the least trace of dissolution after three weeks time. Commenced putrefaction was immediately suppressed, by its antiseptic vir

tues.

Encouraged by these results, professor Foerg of Leipsig, began his experiments on the same subject. Several anatomical preparations, which he moistened with wood-vinegar, were immediately prevented from further dissolution, of which remarkable symptoms were perceptible. Pieces of meat, in a sensible state of putrefaction, and dipped in this

acid, were in a short time so much desiccated, as if they had been smoked. Foerg likewise observed, that the putrefaction of organie bodies disappears as by a stroke, when this acid is brought in contact with them. Besides, he began to make preparations of mummies with animals, and he entertained no doubt, but he would succeed in his experiments. The results of his observations he intended to publish, at some future period, in a particular dissertation on the subject.

Thus, we have finally discovered the secret of preparing the Egyptian mummies, which have withstood the ruinous influence of thirty centuries. But, in vindicating this discovery as the production of German genius, we must not forget the claim, which the ancients have to its knowledge. I shall therefore quote a passage from Pliny the elder, which gives a thorough account how this pyroligneous acid was known amongst them.

'Pix liquida in Europa e teda coquitur, navalibus muniendis, multosque, alios ad usus. Lignum ejus concisum, furnis undique igni extra circumdato, fervet. Primus sudor aquae modo fluit canali: hoc in Syria cedrium vocatur: cui tanta vis est, ut in Ægypto corpora hominum defunctorum eo perfusa serventur. C. Plinii secundi natur. histor. Lib.

xvi. C. xxi.

It is impossible to state beforehand, how many advantages will be derived from the properties of this acid; but still we may assert with confidence that they will be of great value to mankind. Besides the various occasions, on which I have presented it as very useful, there are favourable results to be expected from it in medicine, in which it has already been successfully employed in the curing of ulcers of a gangrenous nature.

But another point of view upon which I wish to dwell with some particular interest, consists in the experiments which might be made with this acid, in some of the cities of

the United States along the sea-coasts, to prevent infection or to arrest its progress. If for instance, the infection proceed from a cellar, in which a great mass of vegetable or animal matter in putrefaction has produced the infecting atmosphere, let pyroligneous acid be poured in, by which agency the putrefaction will be immediately repressed and the air purified. In all the houses, caves, cellars, and along the wharves, fumigations of this acid, might be used either to prevent infection during the summer months, or to destroy its doleful effects upon the remainder of the city. Vessels, arriving from such foreign places, as are subject to epidemic diseases, might be likewise fumigated with this acid, and it is very probable, that this powerful antiseptic agent, would be of uncommon benefit to the inhabitants on this side of the Atlantic. It would besides create another branch of industry to this country, which might become very profitable.

F. SCHMIDT.

ART. V.-Extract from the Diary of an Invalid, being the Journal of a tour in pursuit of Health in Portugal, Italy, Switzerland and France, &c. Just published by John Murray, London.

DESCRIPTION OF NAPLES, POMPEII, &c.

February 11th. First view of the bay of Naples;-of which the windows of our lodging command a fine prospect.

The weather is beautiful, and as warm as a June day in England. We sit at breakfast, without a fire, on a marble floor, with the casements open, enjoying the mild fresh breeze from the sea. The first view of Vesuvius disappoints expectation. You would not know that it was a burning mountain if you were not told so; the smoke has only the appearance of that light passing cloud, which is so often seen hanging on the brow of a hill. Drove after breakfast

to the Campo di Marte; where, to my great surprise, I found myself transported ten years backwards, into the middle of old school-fellows.

There was a regular double-wicket cricket match going on;-Eton against the world;-and the world was beaten in one innings! This disposition to carry the amusements of their own country along with them is a striking characteristic of the English. One of them imports a pack of hounds from England to Rome, and hunts regularly during the season, to the great astonishment of the natives.-At Florence, they establish races on the Cascine, after the English manner, and ride their own horses, with the caps and jackets of English jockeys;-and, every where, they make themselves independent of the natives, and rather provide entertainment for themselves, than seek it from the same sources with the people amongst whom they may happen to be. What should we say in London, if the Turks, or the Persians, or the Russians, or the French, were to make Hyde Park the scene of their national pastimes? It is this exclusively national spirit, and the undisguised contempt for all other people, that the English are so accustomed to express in their manner and conduct, which have made us so generally unpopular on the continent. Our hauteur is the subject of universal complaint, and the complaint seems but too well founded.

The view of Naples, from the hill immediately above it, forms a magnificent coup d'ail. It combines all the features of the grand and the splendid;—the town, the bay,—Vesuvius. It would be complete, if the sea part of it were more enlivened with shipping.

February 12th. Oh this land of zephyrs! Yesterday was as warm as July;-to-day we are shivering, with a bleak easterly wind, and an English black frost. I find we are come to Naples too soon. It would have been quite time enough three months hence. Naples is one of the worst climates in Europe for complaints of the chest; and the win