In 1832 George wrote his first essay "The means of maintaining uniform temperature and supporting fire without the agency of wood or coal".
He invented the "Platina Lamp", which was described to "keep burning for a fortnight on an economical mixture of pure alcohol and whisky, at a cost of one penny for eight hours".
[2] It consists of twelve glass bottles containing leeches, which, when disturbed by the atmospheric conditions preceding a storm, climb upwards, triggering a small whalebone hammer which rings a bell.
He explained that the twelve bottles were placed in a circle in order that his "little comrades" might see one another and "not endure the affliction of solitary confinement".
[4] Modern science considers Merryweather's methods underlying the "Tempest Prognosticator" to be unproven.