36 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



From the American Farmer. 



On the Uses of Pyroligneous Acid, read at the 

 celebration of the birth day of Lmnaus, at 

 Flushing, on the 24(/t May, 1824 . 

 It has been supposed by many, that Pyrolig- 

 neous Acid, which some call the " Acid ot 

 Wood," is a recent discovery. Its uses, per- 

 haps, have not been long known ; but in a (olio 

 work on experimental philosophy, written by 

 Glauber, the celebrated Dutch chemist, about 

 two hundred years ago, it is not only particular- 

 ly mentioned by the name of Vinegar nf Wood, 

 but directions are given how to prepare it, and 

 engravings introduced of the apparatus used in 

 its manufacture. 



Glauber was not a professional man ; but be- 

 ing in possession of an ample fortune, and ex- 

 tremely fond of chemical studies, he devoted 

 most of his time and means to this pursuit. It 

 does not, however, appear that he carried his 

 experiments farther, as to this discovery, than 

 to ascertain that its qualities resembled those of 

 common vinegar. 



In the year 1814, Professor Meineke, of Got- 

 tingen, seems to have firsL conceived the idea 

 that the Vinegar of Wood possessed peculiar 

 antiseptic principles, from which he was led to 

 use it in the preservation of meat, and after- 

 wards in the preparation of mummies. 



Availing himself of Professor Meineke's 

 studies, Mr. Stotze, an apothecary at Halle, 

 made a variety of experiments, by which he so 

 far verified his predecessor's discoveries and so 

 completely purified the acid as to render it fit 

 for the table, (hat he obtained a prize on that 

 account from the Royal Society of Goitingen. 



From this period down to 1818, the Vinegar 

 of Wood was generally regarded as a distinct 

 acid ; but Fourcroy, and other French chemists, 

 having analyzed it, they pronounced it to be 

 the same as the acetous or common vinegar, dif- 

 fering only in the flavour. The name of Py- 

 roligneous" Acid has since been given to it from 

 the circumstance of its being obtained by the 

 destructive distillation. 



In England and France (he manufacture of 

 (his acid is carried on (o a considerable extent, 

 Hnd is there used in families as a substitute for 

 vinegar. When it first comes from the still, it 

 is of a dark colour, possessing a strong acid, and 

 slightly astringent taste, with an crapyreumatic 

 smell. After remaining at rest for some days, 

 the substance, which causes the dark appear- 

 ance, and which is of (he c|ualities of tar, sub- 

 sides, and (he acid (hen resembles Madeira 

 wine in colour, and is comparatively transpar- 

 ent. 



Before Pyroligneous Acid, however, can be 

 used for (he (able, it must be fretjuently distilled 

 1o,free it from the volatile oil which occasions 

 the peculiar flavour attending it in ifs origimil 

 state. The most effectual method (o render it 

 jmre is, (o mix it with sulphuric acid, magne- 

 sia and common salt, when running it through 

 the still. These trcquent distillations increase 

 its strength so much that it cannot be used for 

 domestic purposes, until it is mixed with a 

 large proportion of water. Some of the acid. 

 thus purified, has lately been imported into (his 

 coun(ry, and is found to answer all (he purpo- 

 ses to which vinegar is usually applied. 



Pyroligneous acid is well known in Great 

 Britain of lafe yenrs, as an article of commerce. 



It is (here dislilhd for (he purpose of obtaining 

 the acid to dye cloth, and the charcoal for 

 manufacturing gunpowder, which is always in 

 request. The common estimate is that a ton 

 of nut wood yields about 100 gallons of acid, 

 400 lbs of charcoal, and 12 gallons of a tarry 

 substance. 



This acid is also extensively used, in (his and 

 o(her countries, in (he preparalion of whi(e 

 lead. The powerful manner in which it acts 

 on the metal in its original slate must always 

 induce the manufacturers of this article to pre- 

 fer it to all other acids. 



It is likewise understood, that leather may 

 be tanned by ihe Pyroligneous acid, in a much 

 shorter period than by the ordinary process, 

 and that the leather llius manufactured, is equal, 

 if not superior to any imported. 



But the most valuable use to which this acid 

 may be applied, is that of curing meat of every 

 description, so as to preserve it from flies, and 

 trom putrefaction in hot weather. It has been 

 ascertained by innumerable experimenls, that i( 

 con(ains (he same properdes of preserving ani- 

 mal matters as smoking (hem by wood does; 

 and that the only diflVrence in using it and dry- 

 ing by the present mode, is merely in the ap- 

 plication. In (he one case, (he meat is acted 

 on during (he distillation of the acid while the 

 wood is burning in the smoke house ; in the 

 other, the acid, already formed is applied by 

 immersion or by the brush. 



Since (he experiments of Mr. Stofze, at 

 Halle, several successful applications of the 

 acid, in this way, have been noticed in the 

 English journals. Two specimens of meat 

 were, some lime ago, exhibited at a meeting of 

 the Philosophical Society, Whitehaven, which 

 had been ])repared with the acid on the 7fh 

 September, 1819. One of tho pieces had been 

 taken (o the Wes( Indies (o try the effect of the 

 climate, and the other was hung up at home. 

 Alter the ln|)se of iifteen months, (i. e. .lanua- 

 ry, 1821) they were tasted by all the members 

 of the Society, and found to be perfectly sweet, 

 fresh, and fit for use. 



Our journals also have mentioned instances 

 where the acid has been used in the preparation 

 of mea(, and (he resuK has been equally satis- 

 factory. But nothing has appeared of a posi- 

 tive nature in either country, by which (he 

 mode of applying i( could be distinctly under- 

 stood. In one instance, fhe acid was put into 

 (he (ub after (he meat had been suflicicntly sat- 

 urated with the pickle, and in another i( was 

 no( applied until after it was removed from (he 

 (ub, and had hung in (he open air for a day or 

 two. The quantity of the acid used, has like- 

 wise been differently estimated according to 

 the different modes of preparation which have 

 been adopted. 



With the view of salisfying myself on (he 

 subject, 1 caused six pieces of beef usually se- 

 lected for smoking, and weighing about 15 llis. 

 each, to be cured with salt, saltpetre, and sugar 

 in (he ordinary way, and when they had been 

 about lour weeks in the pickle, they were tak- 

 en out and hung up for twenty-four hours ; af- 

 Ic'r which they were moistened by a brush, 

 with nearly a quart of the acid. In a few days 

 they had all the appearance of smoked beef, 

 and, when cut in slices, no difference whatever 

 could be discovered between (hem in flavour or 



(as(e. Some hams and (ongues, prepared in 

 (he same manner, showed a similar result. 



In point of economy, the difference in the (wo 

 modes is very s(riking. The expense of smok- 

 ing a hundred weight of meat, is 37^^ cents ; 

 (he cost of (he acid for the same quantity, is 

 only six cents. But what is of still greater im- 

 portance is, that when meat returns from the 

 smoke house, it generally weighs about a llnr-l 

 less than when sent thither. Prepared with the 

 acid, no diminution in the weight takes phice ; 

 while the juices of the beef and hams, which 

 are dried up by the fire of the smoke house, 

 are entirely preserved in the new process. — 

 Add to this, that in using the acid there is no 

 danger of the meat being changed, or of its 

 passing through the hands of persons who may 

 not be altogether attentive to cleanliness — con- 

 siderations which are of no small importance to 

 those who are careful in regulating their house- 

 hold affairs. 



Accompanying this communication is a piece 

 of beef prepared by me about two months ago, 

 and a part of (he acid used by me on (hat occa- 

 sion. The beef has been fully exposed during the 

 whole of that period, and although the weather 

 has not been so warm as is usual at this season. 

 I have no doubt that it is unassailable by putre- 

 faction or by flies in the hottest part of the 

 year. When sliced and bi oiled, it relishes 

 as well as the best beefsteak. 



The acid is in the same state in which it 

 was when it first came from (he still. It is di- 

 vested of its colour by subsequent distillation ; 

 but as (his deprives it of its essential oil, the 

 cause of the smoky flavour given to the meat, 

 any alteration in its present state must diminish 

 that flavour, and probably, materially affect its 

 antiseptic qualities; consequently render it un- 

 lit for curing meat. 



I have been assured that fish may be pre- 

 served for any length of time by the Pyrolig- 

 I neous acid. This appears extremely probable. 

 Salmon, shad, and herrings are cured in smoke 

 houses in the same way that meat is cured, and 

 there seems no doubt (ha( the acid would pro- 

 j duce a similar effect. It might also be used to 

 - preserve beef and pork for a considerable pe- 

 riod, without the trouble and expense of salt- 

 ' ing. GEO. HOUSTO]Y. 



i jVew York, May 20, 1824. 



: Prom Nicholson's Pliilos. .lournal, vol. xxil. p. 354, 



I Account of a well for preserving and filtering 

 I rain water for domestic purposes, where a siip- 

 1 ply of spring water -was not easily to be obtained. 



TO MR. KICHOLSO.V, 



Sir, — You may, perhaps, deem (he following 

 accoun( of fiUering rain wa(cr well, which has 

 been successfully tried here by the Earl of 

 Caernarvon, no( undeserving of notice in your 

 valuable Jcurnal. His lordship has la(ely 

 erected on a dry gravelly eminence in his 

 park, an ornamen(al circular building, consist- 

 ing of a room and open colonades above, and 

 apar(men(s (or co((agers upon (he basement 

 floor. Considerable discussion arose upon the 

 mode of supplying them with water, from (he 

 depth to which it was necessary to sink, in or- 

 der to obtain an efl'ective well. My friend, 

 Mr. John Loaf, builder, of Clapham, who has 

 furnished the plan, lor the construction of the 

 dome roof, mentioned (o mc a contrivance of 



