504 ANNUAL RECORD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



long time, and perfectly adapted for use. Even the ivory of 

 the elephant, the narwhal, and the walrus can be greatly im- 

 proved in quality by this application. Glue made from bones 

 thus prepared is also a very superior article. An important 

 application of this substance, if all that is claimed for it by 

 Dr.Vohl be true, will be in the hands of the anatomist in pre- 

 paring bones for skeletons. This, as is well known, general- 

 ly involves the use of ether or other expensive agencies in 

 removing the grease. The special application of the process, 

 and the method of extracting oil from seeds, with the appa- 

 ratus required, is given at length in a recent number of Ding- 

 ler's Polytechnic Journal. 13 (7, September 15, 1871, 1165. 



BRANDY FROM SAWDUST. 



The fact has long since been known that if cellulose is 

 boiled with dilute acids grape-sugar is produced, and a simi- 

 lar treatment of lichens, according to a process devised by 

 Professor Stenberg, is* the initial step to the preparation of 

 a very fair brandy. We now learn that quite a good brandy 

 can be made from sawdust, generally from a mixture of the 

 sawdust of pine and of fir timber. For this purpose 9 parts 

 of very moist sawdust, 0.7 of a part of hydrochloric acid, and 

 33.7 parts of water, making 43.4 parts in all, are to be boiled 

 together, under steam pressure, for eight hours and a half, 

 after which the mass is found to contain 3.33 parts of grape- 

 sugar; and after eleven hours 4.38 parts, in all over 19 per 

 cent, of the entire mass. The acid is now to be neutralized 

 with lime, so that the mash, cooled and ready for fermenta- 

 tion, is to contain one half a degree of acid (according to the 

 acetometer), and a suitable amount of yeast is to be added. 

 After ninety-six hours of fermentation the mash is distilled, 

 and sixty-one quarts of brandy of 50 per cent, of strength will 

 be obtained, perfectly free from any smell of turpentine, and 

 of extreme excellence of flavor. The experiment has not been 

 conducted in a practical way on a sufficiently large scale to 

 determine positively the merits of this process, but it is not 

 at all unlikely that the success may equal that with the lich- 

 ens, and that a large industry in this direction may be devel- 

 oped. It is not improbable, too, that experiments will show 

 that other kinds of wood than those mentioned may be found 

 better adapted to the purpose in question. 8 (7, December 14, 

 1871,393. 



