BONES. 211 



adopting this course, only make use of the means 

 for fixing and combining the ammoniacal vapors that 

 have repeatedly been mentioned ; let him sprinkle 

 the bone-dust, when it emits an odor, with some 

 diluted sulphuric acid, and he can then avoid the 

 loss without renouncing the advantage of this spon- 

 taneous fermentation. One pound of sulphuric acid, 

 mixed with ten to fifteen pints of water, will gener- 

 ally suffice to deprive a hundred weight or more of 

 bone-dust of the pungent odor of ammonia. 



2. Bone-dust treated with Sulphuric Acid, Anoth- 

 er method of making bones quickly efficacious has 

 caused, in England more especially, a very great 

 sensation, and attained to a very general use. I 

 allude to what is termed the dissolution of bones 

 in sulphuric acid, the pecuniary advantages of which 

 have been already mentioned, at page 68. 



If finely pulverized bones are allowed to stand for 

 a few days in contact with sulphuric acid, they are 

 converted into a white curd or paste ; inasmuch as 

 the lime of the bone-earth combines with the acid to 

 form gypsum (sulphate of lime), which opposes no 

 further impediment to the decay of the gelatine in the 

 earth. This dissolution or breaking up of the struc- 

 ture of bones is frequently denominated a solution 

 or dissolving of them ; and this may constitute the 

 reason of the belief which many entertain, that this 

 admixture must be of a thin or watery character, and 

 translucent, as also of their apprehension that the 

 process has miscarried, if this supposed watery solu- 



