586 
Sponges. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
(  December,  1901. 
come  scarce  and  greatly  enhanced  in  value.  A  diver  usually  stays 
below  the  water  a  half  to  one  minute,  gathering  what  he  can  in  the 
meantime,  though,  with  apparatus,  he  can  remain  below  the  surface  a 
considerable  time.  His  work  is  very  hard,  owing  to  the  pressure  of 
the  water.  He  is  trained  to  his  work  when  very  young,  and  seldom 
lives  more  than  thirty  years.  In  the  Florida  and  West  India  waters 
the  fishing  is  done  in  flat-bottom  boats,  called  dinges.  A  tin  or 
wooden  pail  with  a  glass  bottom  is  used  to  help  locate  the  sponges, 
by  lowering  it  into  the  water  and  looking  down  through  it. 
When  located  they  are  brought  up  by  means  of  a  long  pole, 
about  thirty  feet  long,  with  a  sharp-curved,  double  hook,  by  which 
means  they  are  detached  and  brought  to  the  surface.  After  obtain- 
ing a  boatload  it  is  laid  out  to  decompose,  a  process  better  observed 
from  a  distance,  owing  to  the  obnoxious  odor.  They  are  laid  out  in 
kraals  on  the  beach,  and  so  washed  by  the  sea.  After  the  cleaning 
process  they  are  taken  to  the  market  and  sold  to  the  dealers,  who 
are  experts,  the  highest  bidder  becoming  the  'purchaser.  They  are 
then  sorted  and  packed  into  bales  according  to  size  and  quality. 
Of  commercial  sponges  there  are  many  different  varieties,  namely  : 
sheepswool,  velvet,  yellow,  grass,  glove,  reef,  hardhead,  and  wire, 
emanating  from  Florida  and  the  West  Indies,  each  variety  having 
several  different  grades,  the  Mediterranean  giving  us  honeycomb 
sponges,  commonly  called  "  Turkish  bath,"  "  Turkey  sponges  "  (i  e.y 
silk  surgeon  sponges),  leather  sponges  (i.  e.t  elephant  ears  or  wash- 
rag  sponges),  there  being  also  several  different  grades  of  each 
variety.  Sheepswool  are  named  Rock  Islands  (Exhibit  No.  i),  Key 
(Exhibit  No.  2),  Matacomby  (Exhibit  No.  3),  obtained  from  Florida- 
Abaco  (Exhibit  No.  4),  Cuba  (Exhibit  No.  5)  and  Nassau  (Exhibit 
No.  6),  from  the  West  Indies,  their  names  being  given  in  order  as  to 
quality,  the  most  valuable  being  Rock  Islands,  which  are  of  a  strong 
fibre  and  best  form,  being  most  valuable  for  carriage  washing  and 
heavy  work.  This  grade  also  makes  fine  bath  sponges,  either 
bleached  with  permanganate  of  potash,  muriatic  acid  and  oxalic 
acid,  which  makes  them  a  white  color,  and  then  washed  in  a  bath 
of  sal  soda  or  lime  water,  thus  neutralizing  the  acid  and  changing 
the  color  yellow  or  lemon.  This  method,  however,  greatly  weakens 
the  fibre  of  the  sponge,  thus  ruining  it  as  regards  durability.  A 
better  method,  though  not  so  pleasing  to  the  eye,  is  to  wash  the 
natural  sponge  in  a  weak  solution  or  oil  of  vitriol  (Exhibit  No.  7  to 
