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VOL. II.

BLEACHING BY ELECTRICITY.

ON page 99 of our first volume we called special attention

to the process of bleaching by electricity, or to be more accurate, to the process of so preparing a solution of chloride of magnesium by the aid of an electric current, that such a liquid duly prepared might be employed in the place of chloride of lime for all or most of those many purposes to which that chemical is now put to use in the arts.

The major portion of chloride of lime or bleaching powder which is now made in those works also producing Leblanc soda finds its way into the arts as a bleaching agent, and as such is well known to the bleachers, dyers, and papermakers all over the civilised world, and when it is described that it is possible to produce a bleaching agent having similar properties to the lime salt from a compound of magnesium the subject of our notice now will not require any further introduction.

At the time of our first notice in August last two notable papers had been given forth to the world; the first by Messrs. Cross and Bevan, of New Court, Lincoln's Inn, London, wherein the merits of the Hermite process, as this process of electrolytic bleaching is named, was freely discussed and recommended in glowing terms as being a much cheaper process for ordinary bleaching than the old method of using bleaching powder. Contrasted with this, Dr. F. Hurter, of Widnes, a chemist well versed in all chemical methods, and especially in the manufacture of chlorine, issued to the world another paper, in which Messrs. Cross and Bevan's methods were severely criticised, it being finally stated by Dr. Hurter that the actual cost of chlorine-bleach by the electrolytic method must be many times that at which Messrs. Cross and Bevan had laid it. Like wise men the two chemists thus attacked contrived to hold their peace until they had subjected Dr. Hurter's criticisms to the rigid scrutiny of laboratory experiment, and until the process had been sufficiently tried upon the large scale to warrant an accurate opinion being given. This has now been done; not only have Messrs. Cross and Bevan submitted each step of the process to rigid test in the laboratory, but a trial has been made upon the industrial scale at a linen yarn bleach works in Belfast, and these trials have been eminently satisfactory.

We pointed out on page 100 of our last volume, that for the process to be a success, the secondary decompositions known to take place must be suppressed. Dr. Hurter showed that magnesium hypochlorite was extremely liable to be further oxidised to chlorate, and this chlorate even to perchlorate, but if this circumstance was merely accidental, it behoved the patentees to show under what conditions these so-called accidents were likely to occur, in order that intending users might not be led astray. This has now been done, and the masterly paper read by Messrs. Cross and Bevan, on the 23rd ult., before the London section of the Society of Chemical Industry, should dispel the cloud which at one time hung over the electrolytic method.

Industrial applications of chemical methods should have taught us a lesson—the ammonia-soda process imagined by Hemming and Dyer took fifty years to perfect, and no doubt many very sanguine chemists had pronounced the process unworkable; the manganese recovery process took half a century to work out, while the recovery of sulphur from alkali waste had a similar fate; it is not surprising, therefore, to find an electrolytic process imagined by Watt in 1851, not brought to perfection in 1887.

But Messrs. Cross and Bevan in their paper have clearly told us what are the necessary conditions-careful attention to the quantity of electricity measured in ampères passed

18

between a given surface of electrodes in a given time. All this is simple enough, but it had to be discovered, and there is but little doubt that the process known as the "Hermite" is now on the Royal road to success. The application of the electrolysed solution to the various processes of bleaching, whether it be for papermaking, or the ordinary business of the bleacher, presents no insuperable difficulties, and now that the veil has been lifted, we shall wait to see what we shall see.

The practical bleacher as a rule does not care for equations, H. O. and Cl are in his mind mystic symbols: he says in his practical way, How much can I bleach, in what time, and at what cost? And, provided these replies are more favourable than with bleach of the old kind, he is certain to look into the matter sooner or later.

These questions have been answered by the large scale experiments at Belfast, where bleaching powder is stated to have cost 14s. 4d. to do a certain amount of work, while a similar quantity was executed by electrolytic solution for 4s. 8d.

It does not need us to ramble away into the theoretical aspects of the question, the subject has acquired such a degree of importance that the production of a bleaching fluid by means of electricity cannot be well overlooked by those whose daily work is bleaching, and if Messrs. Cross and Bevan's later calculations can be sustained, there is no doubt that the Hermite process has a great future before it.

Parliamentary Jottings.

THE ENGINE AND BOILERS BILL.

ON the order of the day for the second reading of the Steam Engine and Boilers Bill, Mr. Broadhurst trusted the House would agree to the second reading. Great saving of life and property had resulted from the examination of marine engineers, and it could not be doubted that at least equal advantage would result from compelling those who are in charge of engines in our large towns to submit to a similar examination, and take out a certificate of competence.-Sir M. Hicks-Beach said that he was sure they were all desirous to do everything they could to diminish the danger of accidents in connection with steam engines, but he doubted whether the bill before the House would tend to attain that object. Mr. Addison moved that the bill should be read a second time that day six months. He condemned the measure as an objectional and unnecessary interference with personal liberty.-The discussion was continued by Mr. F. Powell, Mr. Winterbotham, Mr. Jackson, Mr. Fenwick, and other members. Ultimately the House divided, when there were:-For the second reading, 96; against, 147; majority, 51. The bill was therefore rejected.

IMPORTS OF PETROLEUM.

Mr. Lafone asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he was aware that petroleum was now coming in bulk from Russia in tank steamers right up the Thames as high as the Regent's Canal Dock, and that they discharged with fires alight on board, frequently working night and day; that these steamers often carried upwards of 1,000 barrels, and that so little precaution was exercised in the river that two steamers went into one of the up-town docks lately with inflammable oil in barrels below 73° Fahr., and stored the oil on the quay; and whether he would take immediate steps to bring in a bill to regulate the storage of petroleum.

PATENT ASSIGNMENTS.

In answer to Mr. P. Stanhope, the Chancellor of the Exchequer said,--Some misapprehension has existed as to the proper stamp duty chargeable upon instruments which are in form agreements affecting patents, but which operate as equitable assignments of the patents. If the instruments were merely chargeable as agreements, the duty on them would be sixpence only; but in cases where they operate as assignments they are chargeable with ad valorem duty as assignments on sale of mortgage, or with a duty of 10s. as

In con

assignments or otherwise, as the case may be. sequence of an erroneous opinion, many instruments which were chargeable as assignments have been registered at the Patent Office when bearing the duty of sixpence only; and when the Inland Revenue authorities became aware of this they drew the attention of the officials of the Patent Office to the matter, and to their duty under the Stamp Act. The ad valorem duty of 10s. per cent. upon the consideration for the assignment on sale, or of 2s. 6d. per cent. upon the mortgage money in the case of mortgage, is not, I think, such as to operate in such a manner as the hon. member appears to forebode. But, however that may be, the Inland Revenue Department have only been executing the law as it now stands in the action they have taken, and have acted under the statutory authority vested in the Board.

one.

ARCHITECTS' REGISTRATION.

Col. Duncan moved the second reading of the Architects' Registration Bill, and stated that its object was a very simple At present there was nothing to prevent a man calling himself an architect, surveyor, or civil engineer, and his desire was to ensure to the public the means of distinguishing between a man who was trained in his profession and one who was not.-Sir Walter Foster quite agreed that there was a necessity for making architects and surveyors better acquainted with sanitary matters, but he did not see anything in the bill which would insure that result.-Mr. Gill entered his protest against the bill, which he regarded as unnecessary, uncalled for, and invidious.-Mr. Murphy approved of the object of the bill.-The Attorney-General was sure that anyone who was acquainted with the professions dwelt with must feel that the bill was unnecessary, that it imposed needless restrictions, and that it would not accomplish the object with which it had been introduced. It would be a monstrous thing to enact that persons now practising as architects and surveyors should cease to do so unless they were registered.-Sir L. Playfair said that he thought it would be dangerous to pass a bill which met with so much opposition.-Col. Duncan withdrew the bill, and the order of the day was discharged.

THE PATENTS ACT.

Mr. Ritchie informed Sir Henry Roscoe that it was the intention of the Government to introduce a bill to amend the Patents Act in some minor particulars.

MEXICAN PULQUE.

Dr. Cameron asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether the Commissioners of Inland Revenue had ordered an importer of Mexican pulque in Edinburgh to take out a wine and spirit license as a condition of his being allowed to retail that beverage? Would he explain under what provisions of the law the demand has been made? Whether the alcoholic strength of koumiss is equal or superior to that of pulque, and whether any wine and spirit license has ever been acquired in the case of persons retailing koumiss in London? Mr. Jackson said that the Board of Inland Revenue had had notified to them that this alcoholic beverage could only be sold by the holder of a spirit license. It contained 10 per cent. of proof spirit. The alcoholic strength of koumiss was considerably less than that of pulque. No person retailing koumiss required a license.-Dr. Cameron asked what was the limit of proof spirit for which a license was required.— Mr. Jackson said he did not know, and asked for notice.-Dr. Cameron said he would repeat the question.

GOLD IN WALES.

Mr. Watt asked the First Lord of the Treasury whether his attention had been called to the large find of gold in certain parts of Wales, the yield equalling, it was said, the best gold mines in the world; and whether the precious metals so found, or their equivalent value, were by law the property of the Crown under Acts I Will. and Mary, s. 2, c. 30; 5 and 6 Will. and Mary, c. 6; and 55 George III., c. 134; and if so, whether the Government were taking any, and if so, what steps to insure that the gold so found, or its equivalent value, was secured to the State in accordance with the provisions of the law. Mr. W. H. Smith: Notice has been given by the Commissioners of Woods and Forests that mines Royal of gold and silver, wherever found, belong to the Crown and are not to be worked without authority from the Commissioners. The Commissioners are taking steps to insure that a fair equivalent for the gold found in Wales is secured for the Crown and the public.