M. TECHNOLOGY. 539 



water from the tissues ; third, by the injection of preservative 

 solutions into the blood-vessels. He remarks that the first of 

 these methods includes the true Egyptian and Greco-Egyp- 

 tian process of preservation, as detailed at full length by He- 

 rodotus, and consisted essentially in eviscerating the body 

 and employing aromatic preservatives, and in exposure to a 

 solution of common salt, possibly with the addition of some 

 soda. 20 A, December 23, 1871, 761. 



MANUFACTURE OF WOOD PULP FOR PAPER. 



Among the more interesting articles at the International 

 Exhibition in London, in the summer of 1872, was a series of 

 illustrations of the process devised by Mr, Houghton for con- 

 verting wood into pulp for paper. It is said that the difficul- 

 ty hitherto in using this material for the purpose mentioned 

 lias been the necessity of using such large quantities of alkali 

 as to make the cost of the operation too great to be generally 

 employed, at least abroad. This difficulty has been overcome 

 by Mr. Houghton's process, and it is expected that large 

 quantities of wood, heretofore wasted, will be made available. 

 Every saw-mill in the United States has an immense amount 

 of refuse material, which it is extremely difficult to get rid 

 of, and in many instances large fires are kept burning night 

 and day in order to destroy it. There will be nothing in the 

 way, it is said, of treating this refuse so as to have it render- 

 ed available for paper-making, and thus, while utilizing an 

 immense amount of waste material, to cheapen the cost of 

 books and newspapers. 



In the process of Mr. Houghton, in the first place, the wood 

 is cut diagonally by a series of knives, so that the fibre easily 

 separates by the splitting of the grain. These slices are 

 again broken in smaller pieces, furnishing the raw material 

 for the next manipulation. This consists in introducing them 

 into a patent boiler calculated to endure great pressure, and 

 heated by hot water circulating in pipes which traverse it in 

 sections throughout its length, the heat being capable of 

 most accurate regulation. 



The pressure employed in the process of treating the fibre 

 is 180 degrees, and the wood is introduced into the boiler in 

 wire cages running upon a set of rails, the small pieces after 

 boiling being quite soft and of a dingy color. This is next 



