164 
ON SALPETER AND SODA IN HUNGARY. 
depends on the produce of the crop. There is some cheaper and 
adulterated, and which is only bought by ignorant persons. This 
oil comes by caravans from the interior of Asia, and in spite of all 
our inquiries, we could not succeed in getting any sure information 
about the plant which produces it, or the method of preparation — 
New York Journal of Pharmacy, Feb. 1852. 
ON THE PRODUCTION OF SALTPETRE AND SODA IN HUNGARY. 
By Jos. Szabo of Pesth. 
Professor Szabo describes the methods employed in Hungary to 
procure saltpetre, from which it receives the following technical 
names : — 
Gay Saltpetre. — This is the kind obtained by washing the earth 
dug from the floors of the rooms occupied by the poorer classes, to 
whom boarded floors are unknown. The nitre-boilers prefer the 
gay earth to all other materials. Although it affords only a poor 
lye of 2°-3°, it yields a purer saltpetre, with no other impurity than 
chloride of sodium. Therefore even the government regulations 
against the manufacture of nitre from this source have met with 
no success. 
Plantation Saltpetre is now obtained almost exclusively from 
those plantations belonging to Baron v. Vay, near Debreczin, es- 
tablished at the time of the war with France, and which are still 
regularly worked. They consist of nearly 1000 pyramids, 12 feet 
in length, 3-4 feet broad, and 6-8 feet high, composed of two- 
thirds of washed gay earth and one-third ashes. As they are en- 
tirely uncovered, they do not yield more than about 300 cwt. of 
saltpetre annually, while rather more than 50 gay-earth heaps at 
Bicske are said to yield more than 200 cwt. annually. These 
pyramids are scraped down three or four times a year, and the part 
removed washed with water to extract the salt. 
Kehr Saltpetre is produced at the kehr places (Saletromszeru,) 
which occur most frequently near Debreczin, in the district be- 
tween the Theiss and Marosch. There are also saltpetre kehr 
places at the military boundaries near Alibunar. The boiling- 
