THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
371 
not give up the gun cotton altogether; and he can only have been supported 
by the conviction based upon a thoroughly-grounded study of the entire 
process. 
Baron Lenk calls the Hirtenberg cotton (and with full right) his cotton, 
as he prepares it by one constant, definite, and unvarying process. 
Baron Lenk takes the strongest preparation of acid, one part nitric acid 
to three parts sulphuric acid; he impregnates a spun thread of cotton in 
a boiling solution of potash thoroughly, and leaves the acids to act cold 
upon the cotton during forty-eight hours. 
These details of manufacture are all important; and the resulting cotton 
is also most convenient for the subsequent process of freeing from acid, 
drying, and working up; whilst during the time employed, the three most 
easily removed hydrogen equivalents of the cellulose are completely replaced 
by hyponitric acid, and during this time the action takes place through the 
body of the cotton uniformly, so that no isolated portions are less azotized 
than others; nor, if properly conducted, is any portion too highly azotized ; 
in fact, it can be demonstrated that the Austrian gun cotton contains three 
easily removed equivalents of hydrogen. 
Analysis . 
7. Analysis .—This is demonstrated by the recorded analysis of the 
Austrian Imperial Engineers' Committee, 1861 (Vol. I. Part i, p. 21), 
wherein it is shown that Lenk gun cotton is almost wholly composed of 
tri-nitro cellulose. 
ANALYSIS OE AUSTRIAN GUN COTTON. 
Laboratory of Engineers’ Committee, 1861. 
In 100 parts. 
Tri-nitro Cellulose 
calculated. 
No. 4. 
| 
o 
O 
Carbon.. 
24*3 
25*1 
;sL 
Hydrogen. 
2*3 
3-0 
6 
University Laboratory, 1863. 
No. 3. 
1856. 
No. 6. 
1860. 
No. 14. 1862. 
Di-nitro 
Cellulose. 
1 
2 
1 
2 
1 
2 
3 
24-4 
24*5 
24*6 
24*2 
23*6 
23*9 
24*1 
28*6 
2*7 
2*8 
2*6 
2-7 
2*6 
2*4 
2*4 
3*2 
