530 
IODINE  FROM  THE  ASHES  OF  SEA-WEEDS. 
the  present  state  of  the  trade  in  Europe,  so  as  to  place  before 
the  reader  a  correct  idea  of  the  extent  and  sources  of  the  pro- 
duction of  this  important  article  of  the  Pharmacopoeia. 
The  principal  seat  of  the  manufacture  is  the  city  of  Glasgow, 
Scotland,  in  which  city  and  neighborhood  there  were  engaged 
in  the  manufacture,  in  1854,  nine  separate  establishments,  con- 
suming on  the  average  from  800  to  2000  tons  of  kelp  annually. 
Beside  these,  there  were  two  in  Ireland,  located  at  the  head  of 
Loch  S willy,  as  being  conveniently  situated  in  the  centre  of  the 
kelp  district.  There  are  also  two  establishments  in  France,  both 
carried  on  by  Mons.  Corneille ;  one  at  Brest,  the  other  at  Cher- 
burg  ;  so  that  in  Europe  there  are  about  thirteen  houses  in  all, 
exclusively  engaged  in  supplying  the  world  with  the  article  of 
Iodine. 
It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say  that  the  only  known  source  of 
iodine,  commercially  speaking,  is  the  marine  plants  which  grow 
spontaneously  along  all  the  northern  coasts  of  Europe.  Of  the 
modes  adopted  in  converting  these  into  kelp,  as  the  incinerated 
plants  are  called,  we  will  have  occasion  to  speak  more  fully  in 
another  part.  Our  present  object  is  to  give  a  correct  estimate 
of  the  amount  of  kelp  consumed  annually,  and  the  quantity  of 
resulting  products. 
The  quantity  of  kelp  imported  into  Glasgow  is  generally  about 
6000  tons  annually  ;  it  has,  however,  in  some  years  amounted  to 
between  ten  and  twelve  thousand ;  the  sum  first  mentioned  being 
a  fair  average.  The  quantities  used  in  the  manufacture  in  Scot- 
land and  Ireland  may  be  safely  set  down  as  follows  : 
Scotland,  5  <*lasS0W'  '     •        •       fOOO  tons. 
^  Borrowstoness,        .        2000  » 
Ireland,     ......        1000  « 
Total  9000  « 
Of  this  amount,  7000  tons  are  produced  in  Ireland,  and  the 
rest  in  Scotland  ;  the  price  on  the  average,  at  the  various  places 
of  collection,  is  $20  per  ton  ;  the  cost  to  the  manufacturer  of 
iodine,  including  freight  and  commission  to  the  local  buyers,  is 
$25  ;  these  are  the  average  ;  some  kelps  bringing  as  high  as 
$40,  this  of  course  depending  on  quality.  We  have,  then,  say 
9000  tons  of  kelp  at  $25,  amounting  to  $225,000  yearly,  expended 
