TEREDO NAVALIS IN NOVA SCOTIA — MURPHY. 373 



ducted by himself in the port of Sables d'Olonne, in the following 

 words : 



" These results fully confirm those established at Ostend, and 

 it seems to us difficult to refuse to admit that the experiments at 

 Ostend and Sables d'Olonne are decisive, and prove in an incon- 

 testable manner that the teredo will not attack wood properly 

 creosoted." 



" Under date of Haarlem, April 20, 1878, Prof. Yon Baum- 

 haur, writes to Edward R Andrews, of Boston: 'I have 

 deferred answering your favor of the 22nd of February, until I 

 had corresponded with the chief engineers of the Waterstaat as 

 to the results obtained in their experience in the use of creosoted 

 timber in all our marine works, in large quantities, and during 

 some tens of years. They all unanimously agree that the teredo 

 w r ill not penetrate timber thoroughly impregnated with creosote ; 

 but that, to obtain the best results, the work must be thorough, 

 as the} 7 had observed that the teredo had destroyed piles only 

 superficially infected.' 



" Fir, if the sap be first withdrawn in a vacum and then treat- 

 ed with hot oils under a heavy pressure, can be most thoroughly 

 creosoted ; but oak is more difficult. Still, I have often seen 

 heavy oak piles wdiere the creosote had entered into the very 

 heart." 



In a paper read by Mr. Burt, before the Institute of Civil 

 Engineers, London, upon the nature and properties of timber, 

 with a description of the methods then in use for its preservation, 

 after reviewing John How T ard Ryan's, Sir William Burnett's, 

 and Payne's process, then in use, he proceeds to say : 



<: One hundred parts of coal tar contain, when submitted to 

 distillation, 65 parts of pitch, 20 of essential oil (creosote), 10 of 

 naptha, and 5 of ammonia. The oil produced fiom this distilla- 

 tion is the creosote of commerce, now so extensively used for 

 preparing timber. The preservative properties of this material 

 appear to be threefold. 



First. It prevents the absorption of moisture in any form, or 

 under any change of temperature. 



"Secondly. It is noxious to animal and vegetable life ; there- 



