GUN-COTTON AND GUNPOWDER. 225 
As previously mentioned, the bursting vessels were filled with 10 grammes 
of cotton, which, by an accurate measurement, was found to yield a quantity 
of gas of 5,740 cubic centimetres at 0° and | metre pressure. The contents 
of the mortar at 16° and 0.7382 metre pressure amounts to 5,292 cubic centi- 
metres ; the quantity of gas issuing at this pressure amounted to 2,939 cubic 
centimetres ; hence 10 grammes gun-cotton yielded 8,231 cubic centimetres at 
16° and 0.7382 metre pressure. If the quantity of gas is calculated from the 
results of the analysis it is found that 10 grammes of gun-cotton yield 5,764.2 
of gases, which sufliciently agrees with the quantity actually found. 
Comparing the results of the above described analysis with those of the 
analysis in the Torricellian vacuum, it is found— 
(1.) That the gases in both cases are combustible from the large quantity 
of carbonic oxide they contain. 
(2.) That the gases produced im vacuo contain a considerable quantity of 
binoxide of nitrogen, while by burning gun-cotton under appropriate resist- 
ance, the nitrogen compounds are deoxidized in favor of the carbon in marsh 
gas and of the hydrogen, by which an increase in the carbonic oxide, carbonic 
acid, water, and a separation of free hydrogen, are caused. Hence it follows 
that the red gun-cotton vapors can never occur if the entire gun-cotton is burnt 
away at the moment in which it begins to overcome the resistance offered to it. 
These facts have a practical application in the use of gun-cotton to mining 
purposes. 
Il.—ANALYSIS OF THE PRODUCTS OF COMBUSTION OF GUNPOWDER. 
After finding that the combustion of gun-cotton under circumstances re- 
»sembling those which occur in mines is of decisive influence on the products 
evolved, it appeared desirable ‘to investigate the combustion of gunpowder 
under similar circumstances. Unfortunately, since my investigations had a 
specifically military object, I could only analyze the Austrian small-arms and 
ordnance powder; hence only a superficial comparison can be instituted with 
the results which Protessor Bunsen obtained with freely burning sporting 
powder. 
The combustion of the gunpowder was effected in the exhaused mortar in 
the same way as the combustion of the gun-cotton, with the exception that, on 
account of the smaller action of the powder, aud in order to obtain as large a 
quantity of gas, the exploding vessels had to be larger, but with thinner sides 
than those in which the gun-cotton was exploded. The excavation in the 
cores was filled with meal powder. 
The composition of the two kinds of powder used for investigation are ob- 
tained from the following analysis : 
Ordnance powder —4.5487 grammes gave 3.3562 grammes saltpetre and 
11923 gramme of a residue insoluble in water. Bisulphide of carbon dis- 
solved 0.5823 sulphur. The remainder was charcoal. 
Small-arms powder.—8.8653 grammes contained 6.8408 saltpetre ; the resi- 
due of 2.0245 grammes contained 0.765 gramme sulphur, and there remained 
1.2595 gramme of charcoal. The organic analysis of the charcoal, carefully 
freed from sulphur, gave— 
For ordnance powder. 
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