From Thomas Beddoes to William Reynolds   March 1789

I have this day seen mercury frozen, by cooling nitrous acid down to 30° in a mixture of snow and vitriolic acid, and snow down to 10° and so mixing them. Half an ounce of mercury was seven minutes in thawing in a temperature of 37°, and a globe three quarters of an inch in diameter was more malleable than zinc. Its structure when solid is radiated from a centre. A person present who took up a solid piece, had his hand burned by the cold, and blistered with a red appearance around, exactly as by heat.—