264 Stientific Intelligence. 
retort, by the amount Pictcam which I blow over its melted surface. 
I therefore insert a small steam pipe into the top of the retort, so as to 
throw a jet of heated steam upon the surface of the melted salt, and 
thus force its vapor to enter the cylinder. The quantity of steam thus 
Int u 
with a steam-boiler. Both steam pipes are provided with cocks, an es- 
cape tube is inserted into the top of the cylinder to convey the acid va- 
por and the vapor of any undecomposed muriate into suitable conden- 
sers. I have an opening in this tube, by which | can withdraw at times 
a portion of the vapors in it, to examine their saline and acid characters. 
e cylinder and retort are to be so constructed and arranged, as to 
allow their contents te be heated to high redness and upwards by any 
of the well known means. The mode of operating is as follows: The 
discharging door being closed air-tight, I fill the cylinder with alumina 
in pieces 0 ut one quarter of an inch in diameter, and fill the re- 
tort with the muriate of potash or soda, and then close both. the charg- 
ing door of the cylinder and that of the retort air-tight. I now bring 
the cylinder to a high red or white heat, and the retort to a cherry red 
heat, so that the salt in it is melted and ready to volatilize freely at the 
admission of: steam upon its surface: stéam is now passed from the 
boiler through the red hot tubes into the cylinder by the pipe entering 
near its bottom, so that it is filled with highly heated steam passing up- 
wards in a slow current through the interstices of the pieces of alumina. 
I now admit by degrees a jet of heated steam into the salt retort, by 
ded. The pro- 
gress of the operation ean be ascertained. by examining the nature of 
I consider that the decomposition of the salt is no longer effected in the 
cylinder, and [ then shut off both currents of steam, withdraw the 
eo 
