TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 



69 



Kelj) imports into Clyde, years eliding June 30. 



Tear 



Tons of Kelp 



Price of Iodine per lb. 



1866. 



8858 

 10/ 



1867.! 186S. 1869. 



8174'8116 8178 



12/ 12/8 13/ 



Tear 1856. 



Tons of Kelp 6349 



Price of Iodine per lb. 13/8 



Year 1846. 



Tons of Kelp I3B27 



1857. 1858. 



8(541 8123 

 12/4 10/6 



1847. 



4000 



Price of Iodine per lb. 21/3 11/ 



Year 



Tons of Kelp 



Price of Iodine per lb. 



1848. 



4400 

 11/ 



1859. 



8190 



9/8 



1849. 



4731 

 11/ 



1870. 



9257 



12/8 



1860. 



7754 



8/6 



1850. 



11421 



10/8 



1871. 



9384 

 14/4 



1861. 



9722 



7/ 



1851. 



7320 



8,8 



1841. 



2565 



5/ 



1872. 



10049 



34/ 

 A 



1863. 



9414 



5/8 

 A 



18.'i2. 



5418 



15/ 

 A 



1842. 



1887 

 4/8 

 A 



1874. 



10923 



15,8 



Kelp... 



Iodine 



1864. 



11349 



^8/4 

 Kelp... 

 Iodine 



1854. 



4679 

 12/ 

 Kelp... 

 Pr. of Iodine 



187.3. 



9449 



24/8 



verage 



Pr. of 



1863. 



14018 



5/ 

 verage 

 Pr. of 



1853. 



6491 



15/4 



verage 



1843. 

 1965 



6/ 



verage 



Pr. of 



1844. 



3263 



12/ 

 Kelp... 

 Iodine 



1875. 



8(i43 



10,8 



9187 



15/lH 



1865. 



13741 



7/8 

 9730 



8/10 



1855. 



5826 

 13/4 

 5811 

 12/11 



1845. 



6086 

 31/1 

 3133 

 11/9 



The working of kelp for iodine is minutely described, with the remark that all 

 the text-books on the subject describe only processes and apparatus abandoned by 

 manufacturers many years ago. The large production of iodine which may be 

 expected from the Chilian caliche is fully investigated and it is shown that the 

 possible production far exceeds the utmost output of Great Britain and France ; but 

 there are difficulties in the manufactm-e which have hitherto prevented very large 

 imports from this source. 



The quantities of iodine in several species of sea-weed, and from a large num- 

 ber of analyses of specimens from all parts of the coast, are tabulated. The author 

 shows that all sea-weeds contain iodine ; but few contain it in the quantity worth 

 working. 



These are the deep-sea algae exclusively. 



His own researches are alluded to (Society of Arts, Silver Medal, Feb. 14, 1862) 

 in reference to the great loss of iodine in the present wasteful method of burning 

 kelp ; and his suggested improvement of collecting the winter tangle, now generally 

 wasted, and distilling it in closed retorts, is described. The sea-weed is thus con- 

 verted into charcoal (which remains in the retorts), and ammoniacal liquor, and tar 

 condensed in suitable condensers, and gas, which is used to light the works. 



The gas liquor yields ammonia and acetic acid. From the charcoal, the salts of 

 potassium and sodium, with iodides and bromides, are easily washed out, and a 

 residual charcoal is obtained which resembles that from bones. This charcoal is 

 fully equal to animal charcoal as a decolorizer and deodorizer, and can be very 

 cheaply obtained. 



The manufacture affords winter employment to a large and indigent populatioa 

 in the winter, when they most need it. It has been earned out on a large scale in 

 some of the outward Hebrides, and has quadrupled the produce of iodine and 

 greatly benefited the people. 



On Lead Desilverizing hy the Zinc Process. By J. E. Stoddabt, 



On the Atomicity of Oxygen and on the Constitution of Basic Salts. 

 By J. Johnstone Stoney, F.B.S, 



On Zinc. By D. Swan. 



1876. 



