Ajm.  Jouiu  Phjlrm.  ) 
Nov.  1, 1874.  \ 
Varieties. 
535 
Henry  Bower  makes  an  elegant  and  effective  display  of  the  rather  limited 
number  of  his  productions.  His  renowned  glycerin,  of  course,  occupies  a 
prominent  position.  A  very  large  mass  of  ferrocyanide  of  potassium  in  crystals 
is  beatifully  framed  and  draped  in  an  artistic  fashion.  The  ferridcyanide  is 
exhibited  in  handsome  pyramids.  Stearic  acid  welcomes  us  as  a  life  size  bust 
of  Franklin,  and  also  as  a  double  representation  of  the  goddess  of  beauty,  of 
her  that  was  born  of  the  foam  of  the  sea,  Venus  Anadyomene.  These  statues 
will  bear  scrutiny  as  works  of  art,  being  highly  finished  and  polished  so  that 
they  resemble  the  finest  Carrara  marble. 
The  Pennsylvania  Salt  Manufacturing  Co.  makes  a  very  fine  display  of  its 
chemicals,  particularly  of  alum,  prepared  from  kryolite  in  vast  quantities.  An 
imitation  iceberg,  illuminated  in  the  interior,  has  been  constructed  out  of  about 
three  tons  of  this  beautiful  article.  These  large  transparent  crystals  have  a 
peculiar  greenish  tint,  like  that  of  ocean  waves.  No  great  stretch  of  the 
imagination  is  necessary  to  associate  this  production  of  "  Greenland's  icy 
mountain"  with  the  fairy  grottoes  of  which  the  northern  skalds  were  accustomed 
to  chant  in  their  ancient  sagas. 
Natrona  porous  alum,  which  is  stated  to  be  pure  aluminum  sulphate,  is  also 
shown  ;  the  company  claims  numerous  advantages  for  this  as  a  sizing  agent  in 
paper  making.  Fine  specimens  of  native  kryolite  attract  much  attention. 
Caustic  soda,  iron  sulphate,  sodium  carbonate  and  bicarbonate  figure  among 
their  products.  The  natrona  sodium  bicarbonate  has  the  reputation  of  excell- 
ing the  best  Newcastle  in  purity.  The  Greenwich  brand  is  made  by  the 
company,  in  this  city,  from  salt.  As  the  company  has  quite  recently  commenced 
putting  this  up  in  small  packages  for  family  use,  we  regret  to  notice  that  no  at- 
tempt has  been  made  to  conform  to  the  nomenclature  of  the  present  day,  but  that, 
on  the  contrary,  incorrect  and  inaccurate  names  are  retained.  It  would  have  been 
quite  in  harmony  with  the  spirit  of  enterprise  so  frequently  manifested  by  this 
great  concern  to  give  the  correct,  modern  appellation,  and  then  to  let  the 
superannuated  synonyms  follow. 
Kurlbaum  &  Co.  make  a  fine  show  of  camphor,  in  circular  disks,  refined  by 
themselves.  They  exhibit,  also,  a  number  of  ethers,  the  oils  of  camphor, 
cloves  and  allspice,  with  a  line  of  mercurial  preparations,  among  which  calomel 
in  very  fine  crystals  is  conspicuous. 
William  Gulager  exhibits  white  wax,  litharge,  refined  saltpetre  and  Hartman, 
Laist  &  Co.'s  glycerin. 
The  Philadelphia  Quartz  Co.  offer  a  great  variety  of  preparations  of  silicate 
of  soda,  in  the  form  of  crystals,  powder  and  jelly.  It  is  really  surprising  to  note 
the  number  and  variety  of  technical  applications  of  this  interesting  substance. 
The  labels  of  the  different  jars  inform  us  that  one  preparation  is  for  calico- 
printing,  another  for  making  concrete  stone,  another  for  refining  sorghum,  still 
another  for  saturating  boxes  and  packages  to  prevent  the  absorption  of  oil, 
and  yet  another  for  improving  the  manufacture  of  soap.  Besides  these  we 
notice  a  solid  form  recommended  for  washing  machinery-waste,  with  samples 
of  the  so-called  waste  before  and  after  purification.  Judging  from  these 
specimens,  the  silicate  is  certainly  very  efficacious  in  its  action.  We  notice  also 
silicate  of  potash  in  solution,  formerly  used  for  making  a  patent  artificial  stone  ; 
