8 WILLIAM GOSSAGE 



large measure to the beneficent prosperity of 

 the alkali maker. The utilisation of waste- 

 products might be said to be the passion of 

 his life. 



We have said that the genius of William 

 Gossage ever kept him far ahead of his time ; 

 this is notably illustrated in his patent, 

 No. 7,416, taken out on the i7th August, 

 1837, in which he anticipates the successful 

 processes of Weldon, Mond, and Chance. 

 The condensation of muriatic acid stimulated 

 the use and manufacture of chlorine ; here 

 manganese, then a costly agent, was wholly 

 wasted, being run away as chloride of 

 manganese. In his patent he says: "The 

 decomposition of common salt by means of 

 sulphuric acid may be effected, for the purpose 

 of my improvements, in any of the apparatus 

 usually employed, which provide for retaining 

 the muriatic acid ; but I prefer making use 

 of certain improved apparatus for which I 

 obtained his late Majesty's Royal Letters 

 Patent, dated the 24th December, 1836. 

 One modification of this apparatus, as des- 

 cribed in my specification of such patent, 

 consists of a condensing chamber, containing 

 siliceous pebbles, in which the muriatic 

 acid gas may be condensed by water alone, 



