OXI 



OXY 



similarly disposed of. From the thigh 

 and shoulder. 75 to 100 lbs. of lean, 

 fit for drying into jugged beef, are ob- 

 tained ; 100 lbs. of the best pieces 

 are also salted for shipping. The 

 liver is rubbed with nitre, and salted 

 for home consumption. 



But the great object is to obtain the 

 tallow. For this, the rest of the car- 

 cass is cut up, and placed in an iron 

 cylinder holding 10,000 to 15,000 lbs. 

 The top is made fast, and steam let 

 in at 70 lbs. pressure, equal to 306° 

 Fahr. In 12 to 14 hours the grease 

 will be free, and may be drawn off 

 into barrels. The soup formed un- 

 der the tallow is used, with meal, 

 &c., to fatten hogs. 40 oxen per day 

 will feed 600 to 1000 hogs. The pigs, 

 in time, are steamed into lard. 



An ox of 700 lbs. yields 25 lbs. suet 

 from kidneys, 50 lbs. from intestines, 

 100 lbs. hide, 100 lean meat, and the 

 rest yields 10 to 20 per cent, tallow, ] 

 from a fat animal. 



It is to be remarked that the fat is 

 not equal to that taken without steam- 

 ing. The bones, burned into bone- 

 black, form a rich manure and excel- 

 lent purifying substance for sugar re- 

 finers. They are also assorted for 

 buttons, knife handles, &c., and the 

 rest exported for manure. 



OX EYE. The genus CTrysflTi/^e- 

 mum. Weeds growing among wheat 

 and small grain, with large white and 

 yellow composite flowers. 



OX FEET. When the horse's 

 hoof splits before, so as to become 

 apparently divided into two parts. 



OX GALL, or BILE. It is an ex- 

 cellent substance to refresh the col- 

 our of old, greasy carpets. For this 

 purpose, a small quantity is mixed 

 with water, and the carpet or cloth 

 well brushed with it. The dry gall 

 is very purgative. 



OX GANG. An old, uncertain 

 measure of land, varying from 6 to 

 40 acres. 



OX HARROW. A large, heavy 

 harrow. 



OXICHLORIDES. Compounds of 

 chlorine with metallic oxides, as 

 bleaching salt. 



OXIDATION, OXIDIZING. The 



act of combining with oxygen, usu- 

 ally that of the air. 



OXIDE. A compound of oxygen, 

 with an element or other compound. 

 Numerous oxides are, however, call- 

 ed acids, when they become sour, or 

 are capable of neutralizing alkalies. 

 The most powerful oxides are pro- 

 toxides ; and these are bases. A 

 protoxide contains one equivalent of 

 oxygen ; a binoxide or deutoxide, two 

 equivalents ; a sesquioxide, three, 

 with two equivalents of the base ; a 

 tritoxide or teroxide, three equiva- 

 lents of oxygen ; a quadroxide, four 

 equivalents ; and a peroxide repre- 

 sents the highest state of oxidation, 

 which varies much with different 

 bodies. A dioxide is a compound of 

 one equivalent oxygen with two of 



OXYGEN, VITAL AIR (from 

 o^vg, and yevvaeiv, to generate). This 

 important element was discovered in 

 1774 by Dr. Priestley. There are sev- 

 eral compounds of oxygen which, 

 when exposed to heat, are decompo- 

 sed, and yield the gas in a state of 

 purity. Of these, the best is chlorate 

 of potash ; but as that salt is expen- 

 sive, we generally resort to black ox- 

 ide of manganese, which, at a dull-red 

 heat, gives out a considerable quan- 

 tity of tolerably pure oxygen gas. 



Oxygen gas is colourless, taste- 

 less, and inodorous ; it is electro- 

 negative, and therefore, when com- 

 pounds containing it are electrically 

 decomposed, it always appears at the 

 positive surface. It is a little heavi- 

 er than atmospheric air, in the pro- 

 portion of 11 to 10; 100 cubic inch- 

 es weighing 34 18 grains. Its equiv- 

 alent is 8 on the hydrogen scale, but 

 it is often made the 100th of what is 

 called the oxygen scale, symbol 0. It 

 is absorbed by water to the extent of 

 less than one per cent., and is neither 

 acid nor alkaline. It has a powerful 

 attraction for most of the simple sub- 

 stances, especially for the electro- 

 positive bodies. The act of combi- 

 ning with it is called oxidation. The 

 compounds thus formed are divided 

 into acids and oxides ; among the 

 latter are the alkalies, and almost all 



549 



