32 



MATERIALS FOR PAPER MAKING.— POLITICAL AND SOCIAL WEALTH. 



[1854. 



after, to the action of a strong lieat, a most perfect and beauti- 

 ful repre.sentation of the printing wood instantaneously appears. 

 In the same way, with the same plate of wood, without any 

 other acid preparation, a number of impressions, about twenty, 

 or more, are taken ; then, as the acid begins to be exhausted 

 and the impressions faint, the acidification of the plate must be 

 repeated as above, and so on progressively, as the wood is not 

 in the least injured by the working of the process for any 

 number of impressions. All these impressions show a general 

 wood-like tint, most natural for the light-coloured woods, such 

 as oak, walnut, maple &c. ; but for other woods that have a 

 peculiar colour, such as mahogany, rose-wood, &c., the im- 

 pression must be taken, if a true imitation be required, on a 

 stuff dyed of the light colour of the wood. 



It must be here remarked, that the impressions as above 

 made show an inversion of tints in reference to the original 

 wood, so that the light are dark, and vice versa, which how- 

 ever does not interfere with the effect. The reason of it is, 

 that all the varieties of tints which appear in the same wood 

 are the effect of the varying closeness of its fibres in its 

 different parts, so that where the fibres are close the colour is 

 dark, and light where they are loose ; but in the above pro- 

 cess, as the absorption of the acid is greater in proportion to 

 the looseness of its fibres, the effect must necessarily be the 

 reverse of the above. However, when I wish to produce the 

 true effect of the printing wood, I alter the process as follows : 

 — I wet the surface upon which the impression is to be taken 

 with dilute acid, and then I print with the veneering wood 

 previously wotted with diluted liquid ammonia; it is evident 

 that in this case the alkali neutralising the acid, the effect re- 

 sulting from the subsequent action of heat will be a true re- 

 presentation of the printing surface. 



Such is Thermography, or the art of printing by means of 

 heat. Now it is nothing but natural to anticipate in regard to 

 this art, as well as to the other above described processes for 

 printing directly from objects, that they will afford most im- 

 portant services to the natural, botanical, rnineralogical, and 

 anatomical scienes ; as it is by their means that the internal 

 structure of bodies is unveiled to the eyes of the philosopher, 

 and the wonders of nature in its inexhaustible varieties are 

 indefinitely multiplied, to be subjected to the investigation and 

 to serve the gratification of mankind. 



But the new art will prove not less useful to the decorative 

 arts, particularly in its application to produce imitations of 

 rare and costly woods, as well as of works of art, mosaic and 

 inlaid work, apjjlicable for paper hangings, or for furniture in 

 the place of veneering, these imitations being produced at an 

 exceedingly low cost, while they rival in perfection the original 

 objects enabling those whose means are limited to obtain 

 decoration at once cheap and in good taste. 



Materials for Paper Making —Paper from Cow-dung.* 



At the present moment, when wc have every occasion to 

 feel alarm at the serious position in Avhich the manufacture of 

 paper is placed, from the scarcity of the materials usually em- 

 ployed for making it, any suggestion, however simple, will not, 

 1 deem, be disregarded ; especially when we consider how 

 nearly this question is connected with the intellectual welfare 

 of all classes. It is clear that should the present scarcity of 

 rags continue, and no new substances be ftiund applicable to 



* By Aj,FnED Oolksiam, Journal of the Society of Arts. 



supply their place, the publication of many ;iiseful periodicals 

 must be discontinued, and the price of literature greatly en- 

 hanced. 



Remembering the valuable paper printed in the Journal of 

 the Society of Arts, about this period lastyear, upon the manu- 

 facture of paper from cow-dung, in which the author (Dr. 

 ■ Lloyd) stated he obtained a fibre from the dung of cattle, fed, 

 or partially fed, upon flax-grass, I was induced to try a series 

 of experiments, in order to ascertain whether the fibrous por- 

 tions of common cow-dung, when the animals had been fed 

 upon grass, hay, &c., were not applicable for the same purpose, 

 believing that were a greater tenacity required than this article 

 would afford, it could be more readily and more cheaply supplied 

 by mixing with it a small portion of fibre from other substances, 

 as from old nail-bags, &c., I am happy to report that these ex- 

 periments have proved, to my mind, most successful, and that 

 this mixture is well qualified for the manufacture of paper for 

 printing purposes. I may also add that this opinion is con- 

 firmed by experienced paper-makers. 



We have here, then, an almost inexhaustible source of ma- 

 terial to supply the place of rags, and one which must neces- 

 sarily increase with the increase of population. Nor would the 

 use of this substance prove injurious to agriculture, as the 

 fibrous portions of the manure are the least valuable for that 

 purpose, and as the other portions could be returned to the 

 land in the form best adapted to the requirements of plants. 



It is not, however, in the present instance of so much impor- 

 tance to show from what substances paper can be made, as 

 almost any fibrous substance is applicable for this purpose, as 

 to point out one that will supply the place of rags, and at a 

 much lower cost. This I believe would be the case with the 

 substance in cpestion, and by supplying a very simple machine 

 to farmers, cow-keepers, and stable-keepers (for horse-dung 

 may also be used), a very large amovrnt of fibre might thus be 

 obtained ; it might also be collected fi'om the fields, &c., when 

 more of the soluble portions have sunk into the ground, leav- 

 ing the fibrous portions upon the surface, affording employment 

 to a class, unfortunately too frequently to be found, whose de- 

 ficiencies of intellect unqualify them from following more profit- 

 able pursuits. 



As the results of several experiments, I find that lib. of cow- 

 dung yields about loz. of dried fibre, and this of course in a 

 condition requiring a much smaller amount of mechanical la-' 

 bor to reduce it to the state of pulp than is the case with rags. 

 Thou2;h I have, made no very close calculations, I am induced 

 to believe that it may be obtained at a very much lower price 

 than that of rags at the present time. I have found no diffi- 

 culty in bleaching it, and shall feel happy to forward samples 

 of the unbleached and bleached fibre, also, if possible, of some 

 paper made from it, in the course of a few days. • 



Political and Social Wealth- 



The greatness, the wealth, and the comfort of the people 

 of any country depend, as it appears to me, upon three main 

 causes : — First, the natural advantages of the counti^ ; 

 secondly, its acquired advantages ; and thirdly, its social regu- 

 lations. With regard to the natural advantages of this 

 country, we have first our insulated situation, giving lis for 

 centuries past safety — giving us every advantage that can be 

 had by our wide extended coasts for the commerce of the 

 world — and giving us great and important natural advantages. 



