He was fortunate
enough to obtain by chance the notes of a neighbouring physician, who
had made careful observations and experiments in the glaciere at
various seasons of the year, and a _precis_ of these notes forms the
most valuable part of his account.
Dr. Oudot, the physician in question, found ten columns in January 1778,
the largest of which was 5-1/2 feet high. The flooring of ice was
nowhere more than 15 inches thick, and the parts of the rock which were
not covered with ice were perfectly dry. The thermometer--M.
Girod-Chantrans used Reaumur, so I suppose that he gives Dr. Oudot's
observations in degrees of Reaumur, though some of the results of that
supposition appear to be anomalous--gave 22 deg. F. within the cave, and 21 deg.
F. outside.
In April of the same year, the large column had increased in height to
the extent of 13 inches; and the floor of ice on which it stood was
1-1/2 inch thicker, and extended over a larger area than before; the
thermometer stood at 36 deg..5 F. and 52 deg. F. respectively in the same
positions as in the former case.
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