84 
PROGRESS IN AUSTRALIA. 
acid is disengaged, and the acids of the fats combine with 
the oxide to form true soaps. For instance, if 100 parts of 
tallow are heated with from 22 to 25 of carbonate of soda to 
260°, an energetic action commences, the mixture swells up, 
and an abundance of gas is evolved. The operation must be 
conducted in a capacious retort to avoid loss, and the heat 
must be moderated as soon as the action is set up. Towards 
the end, however, the heat must be increased, in order to en¬ 
sure the decomposition of the last traces of the fatty matter. 
After some hours, a yellowish, semi-fluid mass is obtained, 
which becomes more or less solid on cooling. When treated 
with water this mass slowly dissolves, yielding an opaline 
solution, which behaves exactly like that of ordinary soap. 
If carbonate of lime be employed in the proportion of 18 or 20 
parts to 100 of tallow, the reaction takes place more easily 
than with the soda salt. With carbonate of lead the action, 
is more violent. The same takes place in all cases where 
vegetable oils are used instead of tallow. .In the course of 
these reactions, when the heat is carefully regulated, no 
glycerine is produced, but the oxide of glycerine is decom¬ 
posed, furnishing marsh gas, free hydrogen, and a little acro- 
leine, while the fat acids remain unacted on. 
PROGRESS IN AUSTRALIA. 
As several of our profession are practising in many parts 
of Australia, it is gratifying to read of the advancement that 
has taken place in that interesting and important colony. 
The * Melbourne Herald’ publishes a comprehensive ana¬ 
lysis of the statistics of Victoria. In less than a quarter of 
a century the population has risen from 170 to 530,000 souls, 
of whom 335,000 are males and 195,000 females. The 
Government has sold 3,000,000 of acres of land, at an aver¬ 
age price of £2 10s. per acre, and has realised by that sale 
between £7,000,000 and £8,000,000 sterling, the whole of 
which large sum has been laid out in endeavours to improve 
the colony. On the 200,000 acres of town and suburban 
land, we have fixed property to the value of between 
£60,000,000 and £70,000,000 sterling, and of the 2,800,000 
acres of country land we have about 1,500,000 acres enclosed 
and 300,000 acres under tillage. Our yield of grain last 
year was, in round numbers, 4,000,000 of bushels, which, at 
5s. per bushel, would be equal to £1,000,000 sterling, and 
