The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1867-02-23
MEERSCHAIM.
What it il, Where it il Got, and
How it il 19annfAeturod-A 1e-
eeipe for 1Gaking Bogus 14ser-
schaum.

The mineral meerschaum is well known
TO be hydrated sihcate of magnesia, with
two equivalents of water. The variety most
valued Is compact, susceptible. of being
wrought and receiving a beautiful polish. 1t
is almost exclusively employed for making
tobacco pipes and cigar holders. A strange
announcement has been put forth, that itmay
be substituted for the subnitrate of bismuth
in choleraie diseases. Deposits of meer-
schum are very rare, which accounts for its
high price. Some veins, however, are found
in the Paris basin, at Chenevieres, in the
environs of Madrid, but these are of little
value, compared with the article from Asia
Minor, being too soft and fragile. The min
ING of meerschaum is carried On largely at
Kiltchik, in Anatolia; the kind found there,
though soft and greasy TO the touch when
fresh, becoming hard and white in the fire.
Some tobscurity exists still as to the mode OF
preparing the crude meerschaum; neyerthe-
less, 1t is known that the pipes of Anatolia
are modelled. The crude earth is kneaded
and pressed into moulds, the article being
then dried in the sun and hardened in the
fire. 1t is then boiled in milk, dried anew
and polished. The pipes thus moulded on
the spot are, however, Et.le in demand; those
wrought in Germany or Belgium being much
more esteemed. The meerschaum which is
to be exported is prepared in Rome, moulded
in blocks, dried and slightly baked. After
cutting out, the manufacturers are in the
habit of submitting the pipes to a prepare
ton with wax, spermaceti or parahue- The
chips are powdered, formed into a paste with
water, dried and hardened in the fire. The
pipes made from this waste material are
however, of an inferior quality; the first bak
ing to which the material was originally sub
mitted having produced slight frittage, which
renders subsequent cohesion difficult TO pro
duce.
The manufacture of meerschaum artifcially
has been the object of many researches
The following. method gives the result when op
Grated by an intelligent aud skilfnl chemist
1t is found simply on the double decomposi
| tion of soluble alkaline silicates by magnesia
One pound aYoirdupois ofsulphate of magne
| STA is dissolved in about a quart of water
| Two quarts of a solution of soluble silicate 0
| density l.25 IS poured into this, both liquids
being at about Lie degrees Fahrenheit
| The product is gelatino as precipitats, whicl
| is long washed, first with boiling, then witt
| cold water; until all alkaline snlphate is re
moved: then pour into a stone. or zinc trougl
| and dried at a temperature of not over l 100
| Fahreneit. The mass thus produced is com
| pact, friable aud very similar to the natura
meerschaum, and is susceptible of being
| manipulated and Manufactured in the SAM
way as the latter For some years y. vs.
| ..sf ,a.ss so.alned good results by diferen
method. He Incorporates with one part 9
casino (?) six parts of calcined magnesia
| and one part of ozyd of zinc. Upon drylnl
| his mixture, there results material of lus'
| rous wilderness, very hard, susceptible OF b,
ing cut and polished, and which perfect
| stimulates the natural meersehaum.