Some Muasconceptions Concerning Asbestos. 329 
a fluffy mass resembling silk or cotton, there has arisen a 
somewhat extensive literature of asbestos, ‘This is scat- 
tered through geological, chemical, technical and even reli- 
gious publications, and there have appeared one or two 
not unpretentious volumes devoted entirely to this mineral. 
In this literature there are frequent statements which clearly 
indicate that some of the writers entertained serious mis- 
conceptions concerning asbestos, and to call attention to a 
few of these is the object of this paper. 
I. There is a misconception as to the mineralogical 
character of asbestos, and this has arisen from the use of 
the name in asomewhat genericsense. Dana in his “ Miner- 
alogy,” says that asbestos is a finely fibrous form of horn- 
blende, but much that is so-called is fibrous serpentine. This 
statement seems to divide many of our writers into two 
camps, the one calling the mineral a variety of hornblende, 
the other proclaiming its serpentinous character. 
The Canadian Province of Quebec produces, it is esti- 
mated, about 85 % of the world’s supply, the balance coming 
principally from Italy. The products of these two coun- 
tries are known the world over as asbestos, and it is not 
unreasonable, therefore, to ask that they be allowed to appro- 
priate the name, even though they be of other composition 
than the mineral to which mineralogists originally applied 
the term, and that other minerals, if such there be, used for 
- similar purposes be otherwise designated. 
The asbestos of commerce is a hydrated magnesian sili- 
cate of the same composition as ordinary serpentine rock ; 
in other words, it is fibrous serpentine. It is curious to 
note, however, that the Canadian miners working continu- 
ally among serpentine and nothing else, have fallen upon 
the word hornblende and apply it to very coarsely: fibrous 
and polished serpentine, such as is often met with along 
lines of faulting. 
II. The second misconception is in reality but a special 
case of the first ; it is to the effect that Canadian and Italian 
asbestos are different minerals. In the early days of the 
asbestos industry, Italy was the only source of supply, and. 
