The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1850-03-12

HoRH.-In the English language we have only
one word to express two quite different substances;
namely, the branched bony horns OF the stag genus
and the simple laminated horns oil the OK genus,
and other kindred genera.
The bony horns are called in the French 6ois
from their likeness to the branch Of tree; they
are annually renewed.
The other sort of horn, to which the French ap-
propriate the term corne, and which is the subject
Of our present inquiry is found the OK the ante
lope, the goat, and sheep kinds.
These two kinds will be considered separately.
The stag-horn closely resembles the ordinary
solid bones, both in its chemical characters, and
also in structure as it is spongy and cellular in its
central parts The horn is sawn into pieces, and
filed to the required shapes, and used without any
further preparation, the natural rough exterior Of
the horn being left in the original state its appear
ance Is neat and ornamental, and from its uneven
surface is very suitable for the handles of knives
and other instruments requiring to be held with
firm grasp.
When short pieces Of stag-horn are used entire,
as ior the handles Of tableknives, the hollow cellu-
lar part IS concealed by the addition Of the metal
cap, and those parts of the white internal sub
stance, which are necessarily exposed, Drowned
with hot iron, or the flame of blowpipe, so as
| nearly to match the other parts.
The horns of the tribe are deposited in an
nual layers upon the bony that project from
the ioreheads OF the animals whence it results,
that the general form of the horn, (neglectng its
curvature1 is conical, the portion beyond the
is Solid and the other extremity tapers off to
terminate at the base in single plate, or extremely
! thin edge.
| Horn consists almost of animal matter, chiefly
| mbranous-namely, coagulated albumen with
a little gelatne, and an lnconsiderable portion Of
| phosphate OF lime had the horns much earth
they would be brittle like bones had they much
more gelatine they would be soluble like Jelly or
glue they constituted, the quantity of gela-
| tine is only sufficient to allow them to be con-
siderably softened by degree of heat not exceed
| ing that of melted lead, after which they may be
cut open with knives or shears, fattened into
plates, divided into leaves and struck between dies
! like metal. Their gelatine serves as a natural
solder, that neighboring surfaces, when per-
ectly free from greasy matter, may be permanently
joined together by moisture, heat and pressure
the union becomes perfect, but horn being cheap
material, the process Of joining it is seldom prac-
| ticed.
The straight conical horn of the rhinoceros is
also occasionally used it is solid, and formed oil
group Of hairs cemented together: the transverse
section Of the upper part Of the horn exhibits small
dots. The horns Of the chamos and antelope, and
those oil some other animals, generally looked
upon natural curiosities, and are only polished
exteriOrly, without any strictly manufacturing pro
cess being applied to them
The first step in operating upon horn is the sepa-
ration OF the bony core, which is effected by ma
cerating the horns water for about a month
| when, from the putrelacLon oil the intermediate
membrane, the may be readily detached THU
is not thrown away, but burnt to constitute tn,
bone earth used for the cupels for assaYing col,
and silver.
The solid portion or tip of the horn is usual,
sawn oil, and the remainder, if not cut into shor
lengths, is sottened by immersion for half an hou
in boiling water it is then held in the flame of
coal or wood fire, until it acquires nearly the hea
OF melted lead, when it becomes exceeding soft
after which it is slit up the side with stron
pointed knife, and opened out by means Of tw
pairs Of pncers applied to the edges of the slit an
lastly, the flats" are inserted between iro
plates previously heated and CREASED, which ar
squeezed tg hit in kind of horizontal frame or pres
by means of wedges; wooden boards may be useC
For general purposes, as for combs, the pressur
should be moderate, otherwise, in the language {
the workman, it breaks tile brain, or divides lamns
and causes the points of the teeth to split; br
great pressure is purposely used in the manuactur
OF the leaves for lanterns, which are afterward
completely separated with round pointed knit
scraped and polished. The heat and pressur
when applied to the light-colored horn render
! almost ransparent.-Byraas's Dictionary Of M
| cbaTIcS.