Part II.] Pearson: Antiseptic Treatment of Timber. 
31 
Summary. 
Unfortunately the experiments formerly carried out in India with 
the Burnett process are anything but conclusive. As has already been 
stated the value of corrosive sublimate as an antiseptic is fully recog¬ 
nised in Europe and America and that after having been in use for many 
years in those continents. 
There is much to be said for the salt, especially its cheapness and the 
possibility of its being employed in conjunction with other more expen¬ 
sive antiseptics. It is a cheap process as compared, for instance, with 
Creosoting; further the American records tend to show that it can be 
employed with efficiency in the Open Tank method. In spite of adverse 
records obtained up to the present in India, the process or a modification 
of the process in conjunction with other antiseptics is certainty worthy 
of further attention. Definite recommendations as to future experi¬ 
ments to be carried out with this salt are given in Chapter IV. 
(5) GARDNERIZING TIMBER. 
Process. 
The process as described is divided into five stages, of which four are 
of an alternate nature. The first consists in seasoning the timber by 
chemically dissolving the sap. This appears to be done by steaming 
and then drying the wood and again steaming with a chemical, the com¬ 
position of which is a secret ; in other words, the timber is subjected to 
artificial seasoning. The second process consists in permeating the empty 
pores of the wood, under atmospheric pressure with a strong solution of 
borax. The third process is to render the timber non-inflammable; 
how this is done is not stated. 
The fourth and fifth processes are either to treat the timber by 
immersion in bi-chloride of mercury (corrosive sublimate) or in Creosote. 
The value of the system is said to lie in the chemical seasoning; it 
is, however, open to doubt whether the chemical itself or the artificial 
seasoning and after treatment with one or other of the well-known anti¬ 
septics, are the factors that constitute the value of the system as claimed 
by the inventor and Company, but it is highly probable that the season¬ 
ing and corrosive sublimate or Creosote has much to do with any merit 
there may be in the process. 
( 104 ) 
