ON THE APPLICATION OF GUN-COTTON TO WARLIKE PURPOSES. 33 
V.—Extracts from a Report on Baron Lenx’s Gun-cotton, by Professors Dr. 
ReprenpacHer, Dr. Scurorrer, and Dr. Scunerer, to His Excellency 
Field-Marshal Jonann Fretmerr Kempen von Ficurenstamm, President of 
the Royal Imperial Commission on Giun-cotton, June 1863. 
(1) “ Difference between the French Gun-Cotton and Baron Lenk’s.—Ac- 
cording to the method pursued by the French Commission, the raw cotton was 
immersed in the acid mixture for one hour. Baron Lenk leaves his cotton 
forty-eight hours in the acid bath. The French cotton was afterwards 
dipped in running water for an hour or an hour anda half. Baron Lenk’s 
gun-cotton lies four, six, or eight weeks in astream. The French cotton 
had, after washing, so much free acid left, that wood-ash lye (a solution of car- 
bonate of potash, therefore) was neutralized by contact with it, and after long 
use became sour. Baron Lenk’s cotton is so freed from acid by long immersion, 
that a two per cent. solution of potash, in which two ewt. of gun-cotton 
had been boiled, has lost none of its alkaline properties—that is to say, that 
the cotton was completely free from acids, as experiments wholly accordant 
with those of the Imperial (Austrian) Engineers’ Committee fully demon- 
strated. The French gun-cotton having been prepared in a manner so 
different, it must necessarily have had a different composition to that of Baron 
Lenk’s ; hence it is clear that the French experimental results cannot, without 
considerable reserve, be accepted as precedents.” 
(2) “ Analysis of Austrian Gun-cotton. Laboratory of Engineers’ Committee, 
1861. 
Trinitro-cellulose 
In 100 parts. | a ET No. 4. | 
NT ee | 24-3 25:1 
Eiydrogen..... 0... ve. 23 3:0 
University Laboratory, 1863. 
No. 3. No. 6. No. 14, Dinitro- 
In 100 parts 1856. 1860. 1862. cellulose, 
ee ee ee eee Veal einiated. 
iP td tty a 8 | 23.5) Sat id Teaeah da: 
Carbon ......| 244] 245 | 246 | 242 936| 9391 o41| 086 
Hydrogen ...., 27| 28] 26) 27| 26| 24| 94 3-2 
“Tf this analysis differs somewhat from the theoretical formula of the tri- 
nitro-cellulose, the circumstance must be remembered that cotton is not pure 
cellulose, but that it consists of long-extended vegetable cellules, in which 
there is always a little albuminous substance containing over 50 per cent. 
carbon, and 7 per cent. hydrogen, the presence of which even in such quan- 
tities easily increases the percentage of carbon and hydrogen. ‘The treat- 
ment with soluble glass has no influence on Baron Lenk’s gun-cotton, it 
being previously free from acids. Gun-cotton is always put into comparison 
as an explosive compound with gunpowder; but it must be remembered 
ai of the component parts of gunpowder (charcoal) is most irregular 
. D 
