CARBONISED TURF. 3^ 



tfee influence of its fmoke, have experienced any bad efiefils 

 i'rom if. The commiflioners (employed to make this report) '^* |]™<>''2 is 

 obferve, that the great volume of fmoke which is difengaged tained water-* 

 on the commencement of its comhuft ion, is only caufed by a 

 great portion of water contained by the turf, which is ex- 

 ,f)anded into fleam by the heat ; faon afterwards this fmoke is 

 combined wiih an acid analogous to that of vegetable fub- with an acid 

 •fiances, which, far from making the air deleterious, tends on removes infec- 

 Ihe. contrary to neutralize the vapours of infedion which ittion. 

 may contain. It is true that fometimcs, for an inftant, the 

 turf in combuilion exhaled an odour of einpyreumatic oil, in 

 ..the form of gafeous vapours, but this odour is by no means in- 

 jurious to the animal organifation, but, on the contrary, is be- 

 neficial in nervous affediions. 



But if this odour is difagreeable when the turf is barned in Charing pre- 

 lowns, villages, and private houfes, this complaint cannot take ^^^"^^^^1 ^'^^^^ 

 place when it is buriied in the open air at a diftance from allof its odour» 

 habitations, which will be effedied by its previous carbonifa- 

 -tion, as managed by MM. Calliasand Co. therefore the com- 

 pany merit the public protedion. 



In 1785 th-e French Government took a great intereft in 

 what related to the carbonifation of turf, and granted 80,000 Company at 

 francs to a company to ered a furnace for this purpofe on the ^"f^^'^l'^j"!!* 

 ground of the .Capuchins. The method of this company w.as the government, 

 that of extinguifhing, but their plan did not fucceed, and the^''^ notfucceed. 

 works were abandoned. 



Anew company tried, fome time after, the fame enter- Another com- 

 prize, at its own expense ; the method of operating in clofed P^ny— pron"^ 

 veflels was propofed ; the experiments made were on a great revolution 

 fcale, and were attended with a fuccefs that was certified by "ofed iti fai- 

 ihe commlffioners of government : a memoir printed in 1790, 

 by M. Morclot, contained thefe faQs, with a ftatement of the 

 fuperiority of turf-charc«al over that of wood. But the dif- 

 aflrous events of the revolution put an unhappy end to lliis en- 

 terprize which promifed fo well. 



At prefent MM. Callias and Co. offer to the public an ad- CallJas and Co, 

 ditional fpecies of fuel to that hitherto in ufe, a charcoal of a*=harr tur/ by a 

 new procefs, the materials of which are fpread with profufion 

 over the territory of France, and the confumption of which, 

 being fubftituted for that of wood, will at the fame time be The ufe o^ turf 

 #1) objefi of economy lo individuals, and of incalculable ad- charcoal. It 

 ' •' , will be cheap, 



vantage 



