WILLIAM GOSSAGE 9 



yielding liquid muriatic acid, or by a mixture 

 of water with any substance or material on 

 which it is desired that muriatic |acid should 

 effect a chemical action. When I use oxide 

 of manganese in this apparatus, I inject a 

 mixture of this oxide and water, and introduce 

 steam, and the oxide of manganese being 

 acted on by the muriatic acid, chlorine gas 

 and liquid muriate of manganese are obtained 

 as products. This liquid muriate of manga- 

 nese being collected, I decompose it by means 

 of hydrate of lime ; and, to effect this operation 

 conveniently, I use large shallow open vessels, 

 each vessel having several shafts fitted with 

 paddles, and extending across it, and so 

 arranged that rapid motion can be communi- 

 cated to them. I introduce into these vessels 

 a quantity of hydrate of lime, made into cream 

 of lime, and I gradually add the liquid muriate 

 of manganese thereto, and at the same time 

 give motion to the shafts and paddles, so 

 as to cause a perfect mixing of the fluids. 

 During the operation a reaction takes place 

 between the lime and muriate of manganese, 

 and hydrated protoxide of manganese and 

 liquid muriate of lime are produced in mixture. 

 I expose this mixture to atmospheric air from 

 which the hydrate protoxide absorbs oxygen; 



