May, 1882. 
THE CHEMIST AND DRUGGIST. 
[103] -- 7 
that a record of the kind would not be suitable for these 
columns. Suffice it to say that, for a period of something 
over three years, my desire for the ups and downs of a roving 
life were realised to their fullest extent, in the then almost 
untrodden regions of the far interior. 
Although I had bidden, as I thought, a final adieu to the 
pestal and mortar, my three years in the bush was not alto- 
gether passed out of the odour of drugs, for as I was two 
hundred and fifty miles further out than any person pretend- 
ing to medical knowledge, I had a medicine chest of course, 
and was often called upon to administer to such ailments as 
hardy bushmen are liable to, and as an evidence of what per- 
sons of education in the wild bush may be called upon to do at 
times, I may mention the following incident. 
A poor young fellow, well connected in Sydney, who had 
joined an exploring party, on the look out for new grazing 
country, had taken a violent cold during the journey, and was 
brought into a station, about forty miles from ours, in a dying 
state, and I was sent for to see him as a matter of course. 
I saw at once, on my arrival, that nothing could be done for 
him beyond relieving his pain, which I was able to do by the 
aid of remedies which I had brought with me, and he lingered 
a day or two, and then died. As he was possessed of some 
property, I acted as his lawyer, as well as his doctor, by help- 
ing him to draw up his will, and when all was over, I assisted 
in making his coffin, took a hand at digging his grave, and 
finally read the burial service over his remains. Thus having 
practised in this one case, the professions of law, physic, and 
divinity, as well as the callings of undertaker and sexton. 
One wearies, however, of bush life, and I was thinking of a 
return to civilisation, when the gold-diggings broke out. I 
caught the fever, like almost every male persons in New South 
Wales, and in the year 1852 I was one of the many who 
rushed headlong to the then famous Forest Creek. 
I must pull up here, or my “Reminiscences ” will be getting 
into the adventurous track, and I shall find myself doing what 
at the commencement of the present paper I have promised not 
to, but will merely state that, after about six months’ delving, I 
returned to Sydney, with a sum which I thought might, with 
economy, suffice to start me in a shop of my own. 
As, however, my available capital was something under 
£100, I was rather dubious of the advisability of trying to 
make a start on so little ; aud whilst I was revolving the ques- 
tion of doing so in my mind, my eye caught an advertise- 
ment in the Sydney Morning Herald for an assistant, and I 
decided to apply for the billet, which I did at once, and was 
accepted. 
. My success in this matter being due, I expect, more to the 
circumstance of the dearth of chemists’ assistants than to any- 
thing else, for I had no testimonials or recommendations to 
produce. 
(To be continued.) 
ECONOMY OF FUEL, AND SMOKE ABATEMENT 
( Continued ') . 
(j Read by C. It. Blackett, M.L.A . , before the Australasian 
Health Society , 29 th March , 1882.) 
In an ordinary domestic fire about seven-eighths of the heat 
of combustion goes up the chimney, about one-half going up 
with the smoke, a quarter by the open space about the grate, 
and the remaining eighth in the unconsumed carbon of the 
smoke itself. The report of the committee of the Board of 
Health in England laid down the requisites of a theoretically 
perfect fireplace. It recommended with respect to the do- 
mestic fireplace, that the smokeless fire-grate designed by Dr. 
Arnott should be adopted ; that polished surfaces to the fire- 
places should be used for reflecting heat ; that ash-pans and 
sand ash-pits should be used for cleanliness and ornament ; 
that the smoke apertures should be at the back of the grate ; 
that fire-brick should generally be used for the interior of 
grates, and the fireplace so arranged that the fire should 
be seen from the largest possible number of points in the room, 
and that a good frontage of fire-surface should be exposed. 
They also recommend that a supply of fresh air should be 
given in proximity to the fire ; and further, that the domestic 
fire-grate should be studied for warming purposes only, and 
not for ventilation. In the last number of the Westminster 
Review, and in the Sanitary Record for 15th December and 
15th January, very complete details are given of the numerous 
inventions which have been introduced for economising fuel 
and abating the smoke nuisance. A condensed abstract of 
some of these may be acceptable and useful. 
Dr. Arnott’s grate, arranged upon thoroughly scientific 
principles, is spoken of as the best grate, as a non-producer of 
smoke and for economy of fuel. It may be described as a lid- 
less coal-box under an ordinary grate, the fire being upon the 
top of the box, as in an ordinary grate. The fire is replenished 
from below by raising a false bottom in the box by means 
of a rack with holes in it, to which a rachet is attached, and 
the poker as lever. The box being air-tight, there is no 
through draught, but combustion takes place upon the top of 
the coal only, while the fuel is gradually prepared for com- 
bustion and for incandescence from below. The hydrocarbons 
given off as combustion progresses have to pass through the 
incandescent carbon of the fire when the temperature is 
sufficiently high (about 2*400 F.) to ensure their perfect com- 
bustion upon meeting, as they do, the oxygen about the open 
top of the box ; the coal-box should be, for a small room, 8 or 10 
inches deep, to hold 20 or 30 pounds of coal. There should be a 
throttle-valve placed in the chimney-flue about on a level with 
the mantelpiece to regulate the draught. Dr. Arnott also recom- 
mended a ventilator in the chimney-flue, near the ceiling, to 
purify the air of rooms in which gas is burnt ; there is also a 
blower attached to stimulate the draught. This grate will 
bum for many hours without replenishing, and is especially 
valuable in the sick-chamber, as no noise is caused by putting 
coals on the fire. For the prevention of draughts, air supplied 
under the hearth will be found effectual. Mr. Engert’s grate, 
described in the Times of 15th January, 1881, is effective. Its 
general features are similar to Dr. Arnott’s. Mr. Engert 
places his coal-box at the back of the fire, instead of the 
bottom. Another grate is described in which the coal is 
forced into the bottom of the fire by a screw, with steeped 
pitched blades. Another, upon the right principle, has a 
spherical grate revolving easily upon legs, acting as axes ; by 
reversing the grate, the green coals remain at the bottom, 
resulting in complete combustion of smoke. There is the 
“ Little Wonder” grate of Mr. Cornforth, arranged with fire- 
bars and tubes,, perforated with holes, so that hot air is brought 
into complete contact with the fuel, and mingles with the hydro- 
carbon at a high temperature, ensuring perfect combustion. 
Dr. Siemeans has lately designed a gas and coke grate 
“ which appears admirably suited to assist in the solution of 
the domestic smoke problem.” Drawings of this grate were 
given in Nature , November, 1880, page 25, a few months 
since. But the use of gas and carbon, in the form of half- 
coked coal, is worthy of attention. A new calif ere Parisien 
has been brought out by Mr. Mangin, of Paris, which, it is 
said, embodies most of the excellencies of previous stoves, with 
safeguards against down draughts. 
The Calebrooke Company have devoted much attention to 
the stove and grate department of their business. Their new 
patent “Kyrle” fire is said to be a complete success, mini- 
mising, if not entirely abolishing, smoke. 
The principle to gasify the fuel before combustion is at the 
basis of all good smoke-consuming grates. Time will not 
allow me to quote the description given of other grates ; they 
are so numerous and can be referred to at leisure in the 
journals, the dates of which I have given. 
Gas apparatus for heating and cooking has been vastly im- 
proved of late, and many very interesting inventions and 
improvements are reported, and can be found in the above- 
mentioned magazine in its reports upon the smoke-abatement 
exhibition at Kensington. Judging by the accounts given in 
the very able report of the sanitary record there has been a 
wonderful amount of energy and scientific intelligence devoted 
to this problem. There are some simple appliances for attach- 
ing to any ordinary open fire-grate which deserve the atten- 
tion of those who are not willing to revolutionise their system 
of domestic heating, such as Gray’s patent false back, which 
secures a chamber of air behind the coals. This simple appli- 
ance would be suitable for small tenements. 
The improvements in furnaces, boilers, and apparatus used 
for manufacturing purposes demand especial attention from 
all the large consumers of coal in our factories. 
Messrs. J. and J. M‘Millan (Glasgow) have invented a fuel- 
feeding apparatus, automatic in action, “raising the fuel to 
the bottom of the fire ; it is bound to enter it at one point only, 
and, therefore, cannot be misplaced.” 
For full information upon the numerous and important 
inventions and improvements in furnaces, attention is directed 
to the report of the Sanitary Record . 
