PEOGKESS IN EXPLOSIVES GUTTMANN. 281 



either with a pipe supplying fresh acid or with a discharge pipe. 

 An earthenware grating closes the opening of the stem, the new acid 

 is introduced, the cotton dipped in it in the usual way, and then 

 segments made of perforated earthenware plates are laid on top so as 

 to immerse the cotton completely. A small vessel with four outlets 

 is now laid on top, and a Segner wheel distributes water evenly into 

 it, and this is so regulated as to flow out quite slowly and lay itself on 

 the top of the acid without disturbing the latter. Tliis layer of 

 water retains all fumes that may arise from the acid, so that the air 

 in the room is quite good. When nitration is finished water is again 

 allowed to run in, but at the same time connection is made with the 

 outlet pipe, and, the flow of the water being carefully regulated,, it 

 gradually displaces the acid. Finally the nitrocotton can be given a 

 preliminary washing. 



This process gives very good results, and is very convenient for 

 ninking gun cotton as required for the British Government, which 

 contains a fairly large percentage of soluble nitrocellulose. As yet 

 there are hardly sufficient data available to decide whether the dis- 

 placement process will give equally good results for gun cotton with a 

 small percentage of soluble, or, what is far more important for 

 smokeless powder, whether it will enable a soluble nitrocellulose with 

 definite propertie's to be made, which, as is known, is always U some- 

 what difficult matter. 



It was somewhat of a surprise when Arthur Hough, of New York,'' 

 announced that he could nitrate starch so as to contain at least 16 

 per cent of nitrogen. You will remember that Hoitsema ^ has already 

 studied the possibility of producing higher cellulose nitrates than 

 hexanitrocellulose by keeping up the strength of the acid with phos- 

 phoric anhydride. Hough seems to have found the practical solu- 

 tion. This nitro-starch has been utilized in the manufacture of 

 smokeless poAvders, and I understand that it is used to a certain ex- 

 tent in the United States iVrmy. 



III. 



In the year 1580 Michel Eyquem de Montaigne, in his " Essais," 

 wrote with reference to gunpowder : " Except to astonish the ears, 

 to which by now everybody is accustomed, I believe this is a weapon 

 of very little effect, and I hope that we shall one day give up its 

 use." '^ Would anybody have dared to repeat such a thought thirty 

 years ago ? Yet it has come true. 



« British patent No. 12627, of 1904. 



^ " Zeitschrift fiir angewandte Chemie," 1S9S, p. 273. 



'^ " Sauf I'etonnement des aureilles, a quoy desormais cliascun est apprivoise, 

 je crois que c'est uue arme de fort peu d'effect et espere que nous en quittons 

 un jour I'usage." 



