7K 



has been proved to be unsuitable for firearms. John Hall Gladstone, 

 Esq., of University College, London, has shown that by combustion 

 with oxide of copper in a stream of oxygen, the following results were 

 obtained : — 



' Grains. 



Cotton employed, 3*16 



Carbonic acid produced, 5 '14 



Water produced, 2 06 



These proportions are : — 



Carbon, 44-37 



Hydrogen, 7 '24 



Oxygen, 48 '39 



100-00 



Lignine, calculated from the formula, C 24 H 20 0 2 o: — 



Carbon, . . 44 '44 



Hydrogen, 6'17 



Oxygen, 49-39 



100-00 



Now, this cotton, which may, observes Mr. Gladstone, be considered 

 as a pure lignine, was steeped in nitric acid, spec. grav. 1*502, with nearly 

 an equal bulk of strong sulphuric acid, and dried at a temperature not 

 exceeding 212°. This composition exploded at a temperature of 370°, 

 producing no smoke, and leaving no residue. Acetic acid at once de- 

 stroys its fibre ; chloroform apparently does so to a certain degree ; yet, 

 if the collodion formed is viewed microscopically, the disentegrated 

 fibre will be seen to reunite atomically, a fact first mentioned to me by 

 Dr. Carte, Curator of the Museum, Eoyal Dublin Society. Professqr 

 Barker has also informed me that he found it to explode, over a hot 



water bath, at 212°.* The formula C^ {^SJq j> O 20 gives carbon 26*23; 



hydrogen, 2*73 ; nitrogen, 12*75 ; oxygen, 58*29. If lignine be treated 

 with nitric acid, combined with more than one equivalent of water, 

 another compound is produced, containing a smaller amount of " nitric 



acid," most probably C z4 |c^X) j> Q-io, and, as Mr. Gladstone observes, 



closely resembling pyroxyline, 



C 2 4l[*Ao + 3 ($O s , 2 HO] = C 24 # 0 } O 20 + 9 110. 



Again, if pyroxyline be treated with nitric acid containing three equi- 

 valents of water, the same compound results : — 



* This occurred at the Laboratory of Trinity College, Dublin. 



