248 A HISTORY OF THE SODA MANUFACTURE. 



French. Revolution, and of the war which followed it, having deprived 

 them of funds, the works were suspended, and for some months past the 

 manufactory had become a national establishment." 



And further, " This establishment had been erected entirely with 

 the private funds of the partners. It would be difficult to collect 

 together, in so moderate a space, more means and conveniences than are 

 met with in this manufactory. Furnaces, mills, apparatus, magazines, 

 are all arranged in the best order for the convenience of the service." 



The report then gives a full description of the various processes 

 which constitute Le Blanc's invention, which had evidently been perfected 

 previously to the Revolution. These consist of — 



I s ! — The decomposition of common salt by means of sulphuric acid, 

 and the consecpient production of sulphate of soda. 



2° — The decomposition of sulphate of soda by means of chalk and 

 carbon, and the consequent production of black ash or rough soda, con- 

 taining carbonate of soda and sulphide of calcium. 



3 Q — The separation of the two constituents of the last product, by 

 lixiviation with water, and the obtainment of carbonate of soda in a 

 state fit for application in the arts. 



These are the processes now used for the manufacture of soda on 

 the largest scale. 



In my recent perusal of this report of the Commissioners, I have 

 been much stiuck with the completeness of Le Blanc's invention as 

 therein described ; in fact, as regards the main principles of the inven- 

 tion, and even the proportions of materials used, these are identically 

 the same as those now in use in this countiy, as well as in France, after 

 the lapse of seventy years from the date of the invention. 



Thus was given to the world, by an humble apothecary, an invention 

 which has done more to promote the civilisation of mankind than any 

 other chemical manufacture, as well as affording employment to a large 

 number of workmen, and yielding wealth to their employers. I regret 

 to add that the poor inventor met with the too common reward for the 

 application of his talents to the public good. After a life of great pri- 

 A'ation, he ended his days in an asylum for paupers. 



The manufacture of soda from common salt having been thus made 

 clear to the chemists of France, the requirements of that country for 

 this alkali were speedily met by the erection of sundry establishments 

 for its preparation. The chief of these were located near the Mediterranean 

 Sea, a few miles from Marseilles, this locality being selected on account 

 of its proximity to Sicily, from whence sulphur was imported for the 

 manufacture of sulphuric acid, and a cheap supply of salt was obtained 

 by solar evaporation of sea-water; limestone was found on the spot. 

 But this situation had the grave disadvantage of being far from a supply 

 of coal, which is now chiefly imported from England. An additional 

 inducement for the manufacture of soda near Marseilles arose from this 

 city being the chief seat of the soap manufacture in France. 



