am confident, however, as much as I can be of anything, that
notwithstanding the almost universal reception of the new theory,
which is the cause of it, it is purely chimerical, and cannot keep
its ground after a sufficient scrutiny, which may be deferred, but
which must take place in time. I am glad to find that Mr.
Cruikshank in England, as well as chemists in France, begin to
attend to my objections, though the principal of them have been
published many years; but, as you say, many will not read, and
therefore they cannot know anything that makes against the
opinions they have once adopted. Bigotry is not confined to
theology.

The experimental work for the year was not very great. Probably this was
the result of his general physical weakness and in part it was due to
his preoccupation with literary labours. However, he did write out his
results, obtained on heating "finery cinders and charcoal" and thus
emphasized the gaseous product of which he observes--

It cannot be denied, however, that this gaseous oxyd of carbon
(CO) is _inflammable_ ... and is essentially different from all
other oxyds, none of which are combustible.

Along in the month of November he wrote a vigorous protest against
Cruikshank's explanation of the mode of formation of carbon monoxide. In
this polemic he of course threw into prominence his precious phlogiston,
the presence of which seemed unnecessary--but this was not so thought by
the Doctor, who also favored the _Medical Repository_ with observations
on the conversion of iron into steel, in which there is but a single
reference to phlogiston, but unfortunately this single reference spoils
the general argument and the correct and evident interpretation of the
reaction. It reads as follows:

Iron is convertible into steel by imbibing only _phlogiston_ from
the charcoal with which it is cemented.

There are abundant correct observations. Their interpretation sadly
enough is very false, all because of the persistent introduction of
phlogiston where it was not essential.

Priestley advised Rush that because of an unhealthy season he had
suffered very much from ague, and said,--

Tho' I was never robust, I hardly knew what sickness was before my
seizure in Philadelphia, but the old building has since that had
so many shocks, that I am apprehensive it will ere long give way.
But