468     MANUFACTURE  OF  SODA  FROM  CRYOLITE  IN  AMERICA. 
ther  evidence  is  required  to  show  that  thebolactic  acid  is  really 
isomeric,  and  not  identical,  with  lactic  acid.  So  far  as  I  recol- 
lect, Stenhouse  merely  determined  the  constitution  of  the  acid, 
and  did  not  make  such  a  comparison  of  its  salts  with  those  of 
the  ordinary  lactic  as  seems  necessary  to  establish  this  point  in 
a  thoroughly  satisfactory  manner.  We  now  know  two  kinds  of 
that  acid,  the  common  variety,  and  sarcolactic  acid ;  and  if  you 
clearly  showed  that  thebolactic  acid  is  a  third,  it  would  be  a 
matter  of  the  greatest  interest,  and  would  well  repay  the  labor 
it  requires." 
While  Mr.  Watts,  in  his  Dictionary,  says — "  Anderson  was 
not  able  to  detect  the  existence  of  thebolactic  acid  in  opium." 
Anderson  says — "  In  my  investigations  of  opium,  I  have  not 
attempted  to  prepare  thebolactic  acid,  but  have  confined  my 
attention  entirely  to  the  basic  constituents  of  opium." 
We  could  not  object  to  any  one  doubting  that  thebolactic  acid 
was  not  the  result  of  change  in  the  juice  of  the  poppy,  after  ex- 
udation or  during  manipulation,  in  the  manufacture  of  morphia 
and  other  principles,  any  more  than  we  could  object  to  such  a 
view  in  regard  to  meconic  acid ;  but  we  think  that,  until  the 
natural  existence  originally  of  these  acids  is  disproved,  it  is  fair 
to  hold  them  as  "  well- determined"  constituents.  We  would  feel 
obliged  to  any  one  throwing  more  light  on  the  matter,  even  if 
they  proved  the  non-existence,  naturally  or  originally,  of  thebo- 
lactic acid  in  opium. — London  JPharm.  Journ.,  August  1,  1865, 
MANUFACTURE  OF  SODA  FROM  CRYOLITE  IN  AMERICA. 
To  the  Editor  of  the  Chemical  News. 
Sir, — How  comes  it  that  the  English  soda  ash  manufacturers 
have  allowed  the  Americans  to  steal  a  march  on  them  in  the  mat- 
ter of  cryolite  ?  A  company  here  have  secured,  so  I  under- 
stand, the  monopoly  of  all  the  cryolite  mined  in  Greenland,  ex- 
cept that  used  in  Denmark,  for  the  purpose  of  the  manufacture 
of  soda  ash.  Extensive  works  are  going  on  up  near  Pittsburg, 
in  this  State.  The  process  used  is  the  Danish — i.e.,  boiling  in 
lime  and  precipitating  the  Al2  O3  by  CO2  •  My  informant  is  one 
of  the  capitalists  of  the  company. 
