1 80 The Commercial Products of the Sea. 



Bahamas early in 1874; but the demand ceased in the latter 

 part of the year, and the manufacture appears to have 

 failed. 



Persons may well be cautioned against buying cheap 

 sponges from itinerant venders in the streets, which have 

 probably done duty in hospitals, stables, or for other vile 

 uses, and, even if they have been chemically washed and 

 bleached, can scarcely be considered wholesome. Sponges 

 which have been used in bathing wounds are liable to 

 retain a disagreeable odour ; while bacteria, monads, and 

 various contaminating matters may be found in them. To 

 obviate the evil, the infected sponge is impregnated with 

 a solution of four parts of permanganate of potash to 100 

 parts of water ; passing it next through a solution of sul- 

 phuric acid, and then washing with water. The sponge 

 recovers its primitive state, and even its marine odour and 

 the tissue is improved. 



The Soci^t^ d'AccIimatation of Paris, early in 1862, sent 

 out M. Lamiral to the coast of Syria, with a view to obtain 

 sponges for transplantation. On his return, in Sep- 

 tember of that year, he presented a report. In this he dis- 

 tinguishes three kinds of sponges for which there is a 

 demand — the fine and soft sponge, called abiand; the fine 

 and hard sort, called achmar ; and lastly, the common sort, 

 called cabar by the Arabs. These sponges are found in 

 the Levant within the 36th and 33rd degrees of latitude : 

 that is, between Alexandretta and Saida. 



It is now universally acknowledged that sponges belong 

 to the animal kingdom, and are an aggregate of cellules 

 built up by gelatinous polypi similar to those which con- 

 struct madreporse, porites, and other polypifers. When the 

 sponge is first gathered at the bottom of the sea, it is 

 covered with a black but transparent gelatinous substance, 



