Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1869-08-21
GLYCERINE.
ITS USES AND ABUSES.

!
is so extensively employed as to be
familiar to everybody. Scientifical-
iy, it appears to be a species of alco-
hol popularity, it is the sweet, prin-
ciple of oil. For many years it was
thrown away, but now it is saved
and converted to numerous uses. Few
| chemical compounds have increas-
Ell so rapidly in public estimation as
this. From being regarded as waste
product, it has grown to be as valu-
| able as its former proud associates,
! and appears destined to take a most
prominent place in the arts. 1t ex-
lists in oils and fats, and as it was not
ess ntlal in the process of making
soap and candles, and no use could
be invented for it, it was either de-
stroyed or allowed to flow away
We are sorry to say that at the pres
ent time a great quantity annually
flows down the throats of q long suf-
fering and much deceived wine
drinking public, instead of passing
through the spout of the soap and
candle maker. We do not propose
to go into long account of the way
glycerine is manufactured, because
any one curious upon that point can
easily turn to an encyclopedia for in
| formation, but we know that it will
interest our readers to learn some
thing of the recent applications of
this substance.
hOusekeepers will be glad to know
that if tubs and pals are saturated
with glycerine they will not shrink
and dry up, the Enops will not fall
Oft, and there will be no necessity of
keeping these articles soaked. But
ter tubs keep fresh and sweet, and can
ha M nd n nd II
ed with it also remains moist, and is
! not liable to crack and break.
| For the extraction Of perfume from
| rose leaves, from scented woods, from
bark, from gum, there appears to be
nothing better than glycerine, and
this use of it is constantly on the in
crease, as the most delicate odors are
perfectly preserved in it.
| A soft soap, In which glycerine
enters as constituent, is highly
priced IN cold weather where the
hands become chapped, and can be
used for washing in hard water.
For wounds and sores, and bites Of
venomous insects, glycerine is found
to be most valuable substance, as
it either prevents the modification
of the parts, or it can be used to car
ry the remedies to cOunteract the eff
IecIS OF poison.
To preserve animal substances
from decay, glycerine is now substi-
tuted for alcohol in collections of ma
tural history, and it is employed to
keep many articles of food from un-
dergoing decomposition.
AS 1T requires an intense cold to
freeze it, even when mixed with its
own bulk Of water, it is largely en-
ployed to fill the wet gas meters.
Some kinds of candy, chocolate
confectionery, and fruit, which are
preserved in tinfoil, are kept moist
by a small quantity of glycerine.
Delicate chronometers, clocks, and
watches, are fabricated with it
Copying paper and wall paper, fol
taking fancy colors, are also kept
moist by small amount of glycerine
used in this manufacture.
In pharmacy for the preservation
of pills. to mix with many substan.
ces, in compromising prescriptions
and in more ways than can be re.
membered, glycerine now plays al
important part.
In the arts it finds it's way rs the
best wash for the interior of moulds
in the casting of plaster figures, tC
prevent the gypsum from adhering
to the sides of the mould.
In dyeing with some of our beauti
full organic colOrs, glycerine is eX
tenslvely employed with the best
effect.
In chemistry it is used to prevent
the precipitation of the heavy met
ais by the alkalies, and is thus a re-
agent in analysis.
For making an extract of malt tC
improve or spoil, as the case may be
the beer manufactured in the usual
way, glycerine has recently attracted
great deal of attention, and beer
the object of extensive speculations
II not of lmpositions, upon the pub
lie.
In the preparation of liquors it has
been found to be admirably adapted
for preserving the characteristic fla
Vors of those compounds, and it has
consequently become the great favor
ite of this class Of manufacturers.
AS glycerine is a remarkably sta
BILE compound, it is adapted to the
preservation of wines, and this Iegit.
innate use Of it has suggested to the
adulteratOrs of liquors an extensive
fraud upon the community. Vast
quantities of glycerine are annually
manufactured, and as the known
uses of it will not account for the con
sumption of more than a small frac-
ton of what is made, it is difficult to
explain the disappearance of the re.
mainder. What takes place in the
dark champagne vaults and cool sub
terranean wine cellars, evidently
will not bear the light of day, and
hence we neither see nor hear what
becomes of the great stream of gly-
cerine that is known to flow into
them. Fortunately, it is not a
poisonous substance, and it's use for
adulteration is consequently attend
ed with less detriment to our stom-
achs than to our pockets. Whether
the looming man. will drink pure
glycerine instead of wine must be
left for future consideration.
1t has been discovered that glycer-
inc can be fermented into alchol with
chalk and cheese, and il may be pos
Sihle hereafter to manufacture aico-
hol in this way. The discovery is an
important one, and may suggest
some improved and cheap method
for obtaining alcoholic and acetiC
acid.
The last use of glyceriDe that we
shall mention is, perhaps, the most
important of all, its extensive appli-
cation in the manufacture of nitro
glycerine- The explosive oil is made
by treating glycerine with nitric and
! sulphurlc acids in peculiar manner.
1t has been known to chemists for
some years, but it is only recently
that Swedish engineer has had the
hardlhood to propose it as a substi-
tute for blasting powder. Its intro
/ ductiOn has been attended with fatal