Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1850-11-23
FROM OUR PARIS CORRESPONDENT.
PARIS, OCTOBER 80, 1850

PARIS, OCTOBER ~, l65U
/ will improve the opportunity offered by the
departure Of the Franklin which sails from Havre
the day after tomorrow to send to the Integencer
some account Of recent discovery which, if the
benefits which are promised to result from it be
ever nearly realized, will deservedly give the dis
coyerer or inventor q hardly know which to call
hm) high place among the benefactors Of his race.
alIude to the improved mode Of distilng mercury,
invented by M. VIoLETTE, commissary of the
powder-works at Esquerdes, near ST. Omer, by
means of the vapor of water brought to an intense
heat. He made his improved process the subject
of memoir 10 the Academy Of Sciences some ten
days since, and committee has been nominated
from the learned body to examine the invention
and report upon its utility In the mean time the
scientific contributors to the principal journals Of
Paris discussing the subject as one Of capital
interest to several important branches of industry
| and commerce. The process consists in plunging
the amagam into current of vapor of water heat
ed to $50 or 400 degrees cenigrade or French
| scale. The aqueous vapor acts at the same time
as calorifc agent and as a mechanical agent. 1t
heats the metal to the temperature required for It's
vaporizaton, and then bears off with it the metallic
vapors, leaving free space for continued dsllation
The mingled vapors of water and mercury are con-
densed in an ordinary refrigerator. The water and
metal are precipitated separately 10 the bottom
and two small distinct streams observed issuing
from the refrigerator, one of mercury below, that
of water flowing the top. The loss and waste by this
method represented to be absolutely nothing or 80 small
be unworthy Of notice. Such at least has been tho
result Of experiments made with the pure mercury
with amagams Of tin, silver, and gold, with goidsmish's
ashes, and with metals gilded and plated Inperang upon
an amagam obtained from the mines of Poulaouon in Brit
any remarked with special satisfaction that the me-
curry did bear along with to the refrigerator an atom OF
the dissolved by it. This total exemption Is never OBJ
served in the distaon Of by the ordinary process
II averred that the Of dsaon by the method Of M
Violee will be actually less apart from the economy effected,
by avoiding waste than that Of distaton by the ordinary
process The difference in will be particularly remarked
when large amounts, say couple Of thousand pounds of
amagam operated upon at once, condition to which
the new process offers difficulty whatever.
/ The prime role which is played by mercury IN many
branches Of industry, only in France but in various other
countries of Europe South America in Mexico, and since
the discovery of the gold mines in California, in the United
States also give high degree Of Importance to this invention
of NJ Voettc. The grand results said to be secured
cheapness of dsaion, perfection in the operaton saving
annually France alone amount of the metal estimated
hundred and forty thousand pounds and lasy-and
this the important consderatonthe rendering a6so-
hey occupation which proves inevitably and
speedily fatal to all who continue steadily employed in il.
disiiion of toate Thousands Of workmen perhaps it
msy truly be said hundreds thousandsho have ceased
their employment 10 time to life but whose health is
medessly gone will bless the Of Violette. II his in
yention has appeared late them, it will at least
myrads who pursuing and destined to the
fatal calling Besides its in medicine, mercury Is
extensively employed in the extraction Of the noble metals
from their minerals in water gliding, the making OF vermi-
hon. the syerng Of looking glasses and the making oaro
meters aud thermometers Its dslstion necessary
almost incredible extent in several branches of industry pur-
sued in France and particularly in Patis In America aud
Europe is calculated that there annually distilled from
twelve fourteen millions Of pounds cf mercury in tue pro-
ducon Of millions two hundred thousand pounds
Of gold and silver. This distaion, M. Dumas the
ilusrous French chemist involves the loss Of two thirds Of
the annual product Of the mines Of quicksilver now known
siversmhs ashes 10 Paris alone present total Of million Of
koerammes e. 0OO 0OOlbs containing about two thousand
pounds Of the precious metals These ashes worked first
by amalgamaion, and the amagams afterwards distilled
in cas-, iron etoris One of the sk workmen Of the
capital who handles annually not less than eight hundred
thousand pounds Of these ashes declares that the daon
of two hundred pounds Of mercury by the process in
involves an expense Of frances S2 besides the loss of
two Der centum Of the metal This branch Of industry in
Paris requires the daton forty thousand pounds Of
curry every year wasting the actual process thousand
pounds The old svering OF looking which contains
from Is to 25 per of mercury is carefully collected in
Paris and other cities of France and twenty thousand pounds
Of pure mercury obtained from by dlaton. Formerly
the important houses conducted this operation then
selves the danger involved in induced all to abandon
the occupations which monopozed by special class
Of wormen Who pursue their perous vocation in the dark
and hidden Of the Faubourg ST. Antoine Il is said
ha, the robust constitution is found unable TO esis. tho
fatal emanaons more than six weeks.
The workmen employed in gliding and plating BY Of
quicksilver decmated by their balefu calpg and the
whole of the vapozed mercury is lost Instruments of ply
and the wants Of chemistry in Paris
of mercury and the ds,aton necessary render sufficiently
pure the article furnished by involves much
both Of the metal and Of human life.
In Of and the consequent interruption Of foreign
supply is calculated that this country could BY the sdop
ton Of the Vioete method annually enough quick
silver from the article Of old looking glasses furnish its
armies with Illuminating capsules. 1@
II is suggested that in Mexico and California, and in all
mining counties, Governments wealthy companies might
make most profitable affair." and be at the time per-
forming highly bens6cen action, by the establishment
grand SCALE OF dsteres of by the process.
Enough however Of M. Violette and his invention for
the present shall probably have occasion the
subject when the report Of committee shall DO rendered
the Academy.
Let me jus, mention before closing reminded Of
by the kindred subject Of which have Just been uesng that
Persian artisan, NJ. THoMAs, haze invented D ocess
which has long desideratum by which the svering Of
old injured locking glasses may be repaired without having