Anti-dry-rot Pffwei-s of Subcarhonate of Soda, Sfc. 437 



bable that the expense of Mr. Cook's process was the prin- 

 cipal reason of its being little, if at all, patronized by the 

 public. He was possibly also not aware that water extracted the 

 alkali : if so, he cannot have given all the essential directions 

 for the use of the invention. Besides, the extraction of the 

 sap is an unnecessary and expensive operation, as dried wood 

 does equally well for soaking in the solution. Nevertheless, 

 Mr. Cook certainly has the credit, as far as my information 

 goes, of starting this subject first. And the truth is (although 

 it may appear unnecessary for me to state it), that I had made 

 my experiments on the anti-inflammable properties of the 

 alkaline carbonates and muriate of ammonia at Florence, 

 many months before I was aware that a patent had ever been 

 taken out on the subject, being principally urged to them, as 

 already stated, by M. Gay-Lussac's observation. 



But not only in the present inquiries do I find myself an- 

 ticipated in some degree by Mr. Cook, but also by M. Durioz 

 of Paris. This gentleman has taken out a patent in France, 

 for rendering paper, and various articles of muslin, cotton, 

 &c.*, uninflammable. He very judiciously recommends that 

 ladies should have their dresses prepared by the process: we 

 may add, that such a recommendation seems also very appli- 

 cable to children, among whom instances of burning to death 

 from the clothes catching fire are still more frequent than 

 among adults. 



M. Durioz has also especially recommended his invention 

 to the notice of his government, for the purpose of renderino- 

 the scenes of theatres uninflammable; and the French Go- 

 vernment, when I left Paris some months ago, was stated by 

 the journals to have expressed themselves favourable to en- 

 forcing by law the use of M. Durioz's prepared scenes. It 

 would be out of place on the present occasion to comment on 

 such a law. If, as does not seem improbable, the slight ad- 

 ditional expense of employing an effectual anti-inflammable 

 preparation should operate with some stage proprietors or 

 managers against its use, the justice and even benevolence of 

 such a law would, it is presumed, be apparent. 



As M. Durioz had not sent in his specification at the time 

 I left Paris, I do not know the preparation he employs. As, 

 however, I was informed that it was necessary to repeat the 

 immersion each time the articles impregnated were washed, 

 it is obvious that M. Durioz has not succeeded any better 

 than myself in>>/«^' the anti-inflammable prej)aration in the 

 tissue, or substance operated on. This seems certainly a 



• Wood, however, is not mentioned: I have reason to think, from this 

 circumstance and others, that tiie process is not applicable to wood. 



