NEW  PROCESS  OF  MANUFACTURING  SODA,  ETC.  121 
the  still  until  the  proper  degree  of  concentration  is  attained ; 
then  after  each  litre  (2^  pints)  that  passes,  add  to  the  contents 
of  the  alembic  a  litre  of  ordinary  alcohol,  and  continue  the  pro- 
cess till  the  product  ceases  to  be  of  the  strength  of  40°.  Then 
after  each  litre  of  alcohol  that  distills  add  half  a  litre  of  water. 
By  this  process,  with  these  quantities  of  quicklime  and  carbonate 
of  potassa,  and  18  litres  of  alcohol  of  36°,  there  will  be  ob- 
tained 12  litres  of  alcohol  of  40°,  4  litres  of  alcohol  at  38c,  36°, 
32°  and  30°  respectively,  and  two  and  a  half  litres  between  26° 
and  22°. 
This  process  is  very  economical,  since  there  is  no  loss  of  alco- 
hol, and  the  mixture  of  lime  and  potash  can  afterwards  be  used 
in  the  preparation  of  caustic  potash. 
If  all  the  alcohol  is  added  at  once,  without  water,  only  eight 
litres  of  alcohol  of  40°  and  seven  litres  of  from  38°  to  22°  are 
obtained,  which  arises  from  the  retentive  power  of  the  mixture 
in  the  still  and  the  loss,  in  distillation,  together. 
These  results  have  been  confirmed  by  eight  successive  trials. 
— Journ.  de  Pharm.,  Jan.,  1856,  from  Jour,  des  Connais.  Med. 
NEW  PROCESS  OF  MANUFACTURING  SODA  AND  SULPHURIC 
ACID. 
By  M.Jerome  Nickles. 
In  place  of  a  dull  and  imperfect  review  of  the  "  Universal 
Exposition,"  it  seems  better  to  describe  a  new  process,  yet  un- 
published, which  promises  to  change  one  of  the  most  important 
industries  of  the  age. 
Notwithstanding  the  improvements  in  the  manufacture  of 
artificial  soda,  Leblanc's  process  is  still  continued  in  practice 
with  a  few  changes,  furnishing  hence  very  large  residues  of 
oxysulphuret  of  calcium  and  preventing  the  sulphur  of  the  sul- 
phuric acid  from  serving  several  times. 
This  is  owing  to  the  great  degree  of  perfection  to  which  the 
manufacture  of  sulphuric  acid  is  now  carried  ;  the  very  perfect 
condensation  of  the  hydrochloric  acid  and  its  applications ;  the 
low  price  of  the  materials  used,  the  lime  and  combustibles,  and 
the  simplicity  of  the  apparatus  required  for  transforming  the 
sulphate  of  soda  into  the  carbonate  ;  and  finally  the  fact  that 
