Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1838-06-29

brought into their present profi
within very few years; scatt IN
immense district, they have he
property ofan active jndiv AR
derel, to whom they are 9 .alth,
more valuable, perhaps, az less
cnprlcious than any mine er that
Mexico or Peru possessed me process
of manufacture is simple, and is effected
BY those instruments which the neighbor-
hood itself presents. In these spots arti.
tic'al Iagoons are formed by the introduc.
ton OF the mountain streams. The hot
vepour keeps the water continually in
boiling cbultion, and after il has received
its lmpregnation during twenty. four hours
at the most elevated lagoon. the contents
are allowed TO descend TO the second
lagoon, where second impregnation takes
place, and then to the third, &C., Till il
reaches the lowest receptacle, and having
thus passed through from six 10 eight la.
goons, 1t has reached one half per cent. Of
the bo'acc acid
1t is then transferred to the reservoirs,
from whence, after a few hours rest lit il
conveyed to the evaporating pans, where
the hot vapor concentrates the strength Of
the acid, by passing under shallow leaden
| vessels, from the boiling fountains above,
which 1t quits at heat Of eighty degrees Of
| Reaumur, and is discharged at a heat of
sixty degrees. There are from ten to twen-
| ~ pans, IN each of which the concentration
becomes greater at every descent. til it
passes to the crys'alzlng vessels, from
whence it is carried to the dryng-rooms,
when alter two or three hours, it becomes
i
Der of establishments is nine. The whole
amount produced varies from 7OOObs. to
8oooIbs lof twelve o. per day. The pro.
duce does not appear susceptible of much
extension, as the whole of the water is
turned to account. The atmosphere has,
however, some influence on the result. In
bright and clear weather. whether in win.
ter or summer. the vapours are less dense
but the dispositions Of boracic acid in the
lagoons are greater. Increased vapours
Indicate unfavorable change of weather,
and the lagoons are infaIlble barometers
to the neighborhood. even at a great dis.
lance, serving to regulate the proceedings
OF the peasantry in their agricultural puf-
suits. 1t had been long supposed that the
boracc acid was not to be found in the va.
pours of the lagoon; and when it is seen
how small the proportion Of acid must ori.
ginaly be. it will not be wondered at that
its existence shoulc have escaped attention.
In the lowest of the lagoons, after five, six,
and in some cases a greater number ofim.
PRECAUTIONS, the quantity Of boracic acid
given out does not exceed one ha! per cent.
thus. if the produce be estimated at rs, 900
lbs per day, the quantity of saturated wa.
n HaII dis rI,nr pn1
can. or 500 tons Of English.
The lagoons are ordinarily excavated BY
the mourtnineers OF Lombardy, who emf
CRATE into Tuscany during the winter sea.
son. when their native Apprentices are GOV.
cred with snow. They gain about one
Tuscan Ira per day. But the works are
conducted, when in operation, by natives,
all married. and who occupy houses attach
ed 10 the evapora'ng pans. They wear
common uniform, and their health is gcner.
ally good. A great Improvement 10 tho
cultivation, and great increase in the val.
ue of the neighborlng soil, has naturally
followed the introduction of the manufac.
ture OF the boraclc acid. A rise of wages
has accompanied the new demand for labor;
much land has been brought into cultiva.
ton by new directions given to the strea ms
smaller rivers. Before the boracic lakes
were turned to profitable account. their fe.
It'd smell, their trighlful appearance, agita-
ting the earth around them by ceaseless
explosions OF boiling water, and not less
the terrors with which superstition invest
ed them, made the lagoons to be regarded
as public nuisances, and gave to the SUR
rounding country a character which alien.
ated all attempts at improvement. Nor
were the lngoons without real and positive
dangers, Tor the loss Of life was certain
where man or beast had the misfortune to
fall into any Of those boiling baths. Cases
frequently occurred in which cattle perish-
ed: aud one chemist, of considerable emi.
nence, met horrible death by being pre.
cpltated into one Of the lagoons. Legs
were not unfrequen,ly lost by false step
into the smaller pit (pati=Se) where before
the foot could be Withdrawn, the flesh
would be separated from the bone.-Dr.
Bo,oring's Report 90 the Statistics of Tus-
cany, Lucca, &c.