498 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



enemy, may do them some harm ; but a shot will do more harm 

 than a drop of sulphuric acid. The great feature in the appli- 

 cation of chemistry to the military art is gunpowder, and I 

 think we shall never find anything superior to it. A new car- 

 tridge has been invented, of which the paper is itself explosive, 

 and water proof. This may be a convenience, hwt it will not 

 send a ball any farther than the ordinary cartridge. 



Dr. Vanderweyde. — It has been proposed to use the chlorate 

 of potassa instead of saltpetre in the manufacture of gunpowder, 

 but it will not answer because the compound will ignite by mere 

 friction. 



We may obtain from the chemical equivalents of the substances 

 which form gunpowder the proper proportions to be used in its 

 manufacture. They are as follows : 



S ] { KO, SO3 



3 C I which becomes J KO, CO2 

 KO I by combustion ] CO2 

 NO^ J t N etc. 



The best gunpowder agrees very closely with this. Gunpow- 

 der was invented by accident, and chemistry has not found any 

 substance which will supersede it. 



Mr. Stetson suggested that chemistry might, perhaps, give us 

 a substitute for gunpowder which would have a less injurious 

 efl'ect in fouling the gun, or at least supply us with purer mate- 

 rials, so that the powder may burn up clear. 



Dr. Yanderw^eyde. — What injures the gun is the sulphuret of 

 potassium, SK. If the powder is not made with care, there may 

 be an excess of it, which will enable the sulphur to attack 

 the iron. 



Mr. Charles W. Smith said that chemistry had brought the 

 percussion cap into use. In the revolutionary war, and in that 

 of 1812, our armies used the old flint loct musket. Among 

 the things remaining for chemistry yet to do, are these : To 

 invent a fuse, which shall be reliable for its rate of combustion ; 

 and, secondly, to invent a destructive fluid which will inflame 

 spontaneously. Filling hollow balls with melted iron has proved 

 unsuccessful ; and the old method of red hot shot is practically 

 far superior to it. 



Mr. Sedgwick spoke of the advantages which chemistry might 

 afford in the hygienic department, in improving the sanitary con- 

 dition of the soldier, in providing him with good food and good 

 wator, etc. 



