10 On the Pyroligncous Acid^ 



talents; but the greatness of these talents renders it the more ne- 

 cessary, as it gives a currency and a sanction to errors that ema- 

 nate from them ; nor should the obscurity of an individual deter 

 him from pointing out such errors when he thinks h« has detected 



them. 



I cannot conclude these observations without bearing my 

 warmest testimony to the fairness, the candour, and perfect good 

 humour, with which the experiment I witnessed was conducted. 

 Mr. Dawes, the respectable solicitor, whom I had not the honour 

 of knowing till I met him on this occasion, seemed only anxious 

 for the truth, the strict impartial truth, and I am sure would have 

 been as much above taking any quibbling advantage, had it been 

 offered, as the gentlemen who acted with him were above offering 

 him any. I have been induced to make these remarks, from 

 many rumours that have been afloat of the motives which in- 

 duced some gentlemen to give the evidence they did. It is to 

 be most sincerely regretted that upon a question, — as far as they 

 were concerned, — purely scientific, any personal insinuations 

 should have been thrown out that must have wounded the feel- 

 ings of those who knew they were as unjust as they were un- 

 true. Let us hope that in the further pursuit of this subject, or 

 indeed any other connected with science, a better feeling will 

 prevail, and that the same desire will actuate all, — that of pro- 

 moting its benefit to the utmost. 



Bow, Jan. 11, 1821. M. RiCARDO. 



II. On the Pyroligneous Acid, its Manufacture and Uses. 

 By Dr. Wilkinson. 



[Extracted from a Communication made by Dr. Wilkinson ♦•o the Bath and 

 West of England Society, and read at their Annual Meeting on the 1 9th 

 of Dec. 1820.] 



1 H E manufacture of this acid is conducted on a large scale at 

 Neath, in the neighbourhood of Swansea. The furnaces are made 

 about 5 feet by 3, and 6 feet deep, sufficient to contain for each 

 charge about 15 cwt. of wood; the door is made air tight by 

 means of a luting of clay and horse dung, and is not opened for 

 twelve hours ; the fire underneath is raised just sufficient to, pro- 

 duce a slight glowing heat on the floor of the furnace. All kinds 

 of woods are made use of; the drier the wood, the stronger the 

 acid. When the distillation is completed, what is left in the fur- 

 nace is charcoal, which constitutes about one-third in weight of 

 the wood employed ; each ton of wood yields about 100 gallons 

 of liquor, consisting of weak acid, tar, and naphtha, and the r«- 

 maining loss arises from the gaseous products. 



The acid corresponds in all its properties to acetic acid. After 



rest. 



