SAFFRON 737 



Mr. H. D. Plirasoll has introduced a lamp which ho calls the Coal-Miners' Double 

 Safety Lamp. It is a combination of the Davy and the Clanny, having a double 

 gauze and a glass. 



Yates's Miners' safety lamp will be understood from the annexed figure (1745). B 

 is the body of the lamp, comprising the oil-reservoir, the fixed wick-tube, and the 

 moveable wick-holder, shown by the dotted lines at E. This is screwed on to the 

 upper part, comprising the wire-gauze chimney, the lens c, and the metal-reflector D. 

 The arrangements for securing this lamp are very ingenious. 



Several arrangements have from time to time been introduced, to prevent the 

 miners from opening the lamps. Mr. Bidder inserts a magnetic bar, which is turned 

 into staples, by the use of a powerful magnet, and the lamp cannot be opened until it 

 is again brought to the magnet, and the poles reversed. 



The ' Eowe ' Safety Lamp (Jig. 1746) is a modification of the ' Eelume ' signal lamp, 

 and by the same author, Mr. J. G. Rowe of Aylesbury ; its object is to prevent miners 

 opening their safety lamps while alight. 



In the larger tube A (fig. 1746) is placed a metal bar composed of brass and steel, 

 having a locking stud on one side. When the lamp is lighted the heat causes the bar 

 to expand differentially, and thereby bends in the form of a bow, so that the locking 

 stud is forced out through the screw-threads which connect the top and bottom 

 part of the lamp. 



The chamber, n, is to retain the heat, and thus prevent miners cooling the locking 

 bar by means of a wet handkerchief, and the small ring c is inserted to stiffen the 

 frame and keep the tube containing the locking bar quite rigid. Where glass-cylinders 

 are used, the locking bar is placed inside them, and not in a tube. 



In practice various forms are adopted, but the principle remains the same, and may 

 shortly be described as a safety lamp locked by heat without a key ; to open them the 

 light must be extingiiished, when all danger is at an end, and the metal frame allowed 

 to get cold. 



SAFETY POWDER. See EXPLOSIVE AGENTS. 



s AFFLOWER. This dye-stuff has been fully described. See CABTHAMTJS. 



We imported of safflower in 1873 : 



cwts. value 



From Egypt ....... 335 3,846 



British India 9,495 57,924 



Other countries 246 1,575 



Total ..... 10,076 63,345 



SAFFI.O-WER, DYEING. See CALico-PfinmNG. 



SAFFRATCTNE. This interesting dye has been lately investigated by Hofmann 

 and Geyger. The sample upon which they operated was obtained from the establish- 

 ment of Tillman, at Crefeld. It is sometimes sold as a solid paste, and sometimes as 

 a yellowish-red powder, containing the chloride -of a colourable base in addition to 

 carbonate of lime and chloride of calcium. The true colour is extracted by boiling 

 the paste and filtering the solution when het. On cooling it deposits a crystalline 

 matter which, after repeated re -crystallisation, leaves no fixed residue. With each 

 solution it becomes less perfectly crystalline and loses chlorine. The addition of 

 hydrochloric acid restores the form, and is necessary to obtain normal salts. The 

 chloride of saffranine is soluble in water and alcohol, especially when hot, but insoluble 

 in ether and in saline solutions. The solutions are of a deep orange, and strongly 

 fluorescent. Its composition was found to be : Carbon 68'82, hydrogen 6'09, nitrogen 

 15'34, chlorine 10-23. Saffranine cannot be obtained as a free base by precipitation 

 with alkalis, as it is re-dissolved on diluting with water. It is best prepared by 

 treating its chloride with the oxide of silver: it is thus obtained as an orange liquid, 

 giving on concentration reddish-brown crystals. When dried at 212 they have a 

 green metallic lustre. They dissolve in water and alcohol, but not in ether. On 

 adding strong hydrochloric or sulphuric acid to the solutions of its salts, the red-brown 

 colour of the liquid changes to a fine violet, which on adding more acid changes to a 

 deep blue, then to a deep green, and lastly to a light green. Anilines of a high 

 boiling-point are best adapted for its preparation. It may be obtained by treating 

 them with a mixture of nitrous and arsenic acids, but the yield is small. The best 

 results were obtained by the authors with chromic acid acting upon a liquid toluidine 

 at 198. 



SAFFRON. (Set/ran, Fr. and Ger.) The leaves of the saffron crocus. Hay 

 saffron is the only kind now found in the shops ; cake saffron rarely containing 

 any of that flower. Hay saffron consists of the stigmas with part of the style of 

 the flowers, which have been very carefully dried. Spanish saffron is the best which 



VOL. III. 3 B 



