The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-05-02
From The Scientific Americana
The Utilization of Waste Matters

never allows particle Of matter to be either
| wasted or lost is @soamanifest that it cosald
| scarcely have escaped the attention Of man !;
and so, when circumstances compel him, it
| is not surprising to see him putting in
practice the lesson she has taught him,
and striving to put every scrap to the
best account. In China, owing to the
crowded state of the population, this
economical outstanding OF material has, of
necessity, long been in vogue; and to such
an extent is it carried that what would be
considered strict economy in Europe or
America would there be regarded as abso-
lutte waste. The same causes have been
slowly operating TO bring about similar
state OF things in Europe. Thousands OF
materials that were but few years ago
| thrown away as utterly useless are now
carefully saved and turned to some account
either for purposes Of luxury or necessity.
Hosts Of costly products OF distant climes
can now be procured at home, at an insig-
nificant expense, from the most unpromisine
| sources. For instance, science has evoked
the most delightful perfumes from the most
offensive refuse, and extracted dyes OF the
most gorgeous hues from most unlikely
looking material-pitcby-bl black tar. Acct
dental discoveries, no less than active re-
searches, are continually transforming some
| thing com paratively worthless into some arti-
Gle else that stands high in commercial estima-
| ton, and supplementary factories are gradu-
ally springing up to utilize the by-products
OF others. So numerous are the discoveries
that something useless may be converted
into something useful, and so rapidly does
one follow in the wake Of another that it Is
difficult to keep pace with them. Scarcely a
| scientific exchange reaches us that does not
| contain the announcement OF some such
fact, and the details OF the process by which
the result may be reached. Here, for exam
ple, before us, in the current No. Of the Echo
| Iadustriel, we have a description OF the
method by which the straw is extracted
from manure heaps, to be subsequently,
utilized latter cleaning and drying) as a
cheap bedding for horses and cattle, pack
| ing for glass, crockery, etc., bUt more espe-
cially for making paper pulp, to which it
is said to be peculiarly adapted; since,
saturated with urine and allowed to fer
ment, ammonia is evolved, which aids in
separating the fibres, and reduces the need
OF using stronger and costlier alkalies to a
minimum. After extracting the straw the
remaining manure is sold for the usual pur-
poses. The simple machinery for doing
all this is the invention OF an American
resident OF Paris. Much Of the false hair
worn by the fair sex Of Europe and America
is derived from sources that would make
the wearers stand aghast were they to learn
the facts. From q late report on the COM
merce of Swatow (China) we learn that a
large export trade in hair, gathered in the
stalls Of BARRIERS, sprang up in 1878, during
which year al piculs QS,S00 pounds),
worth 1904 taels ($4,300), were shipped to
Europe. In 1875 the exports OF this refuse
arose to 1000 piculs, with value OF over
S25,OOO-certainly remarkable industry to
be created at such distant point to supply
the demand OF caprice Of fashion.
| To chemistry modern perfumcry is per-
hans more indebted than any art that
ministers to the luxury OF life. 1t is COM
monty supposed that all floral essences are
the product OF distllation; nothing could
be greater mistake; nearly every per-
fume of the toilet bottle OF sachet Of the
mouchoir case is the product OF waste mat
ters-some of them odorless, others most
intensely nauseous and disgusting. Many
q fair maiden dumps baT brow with the
Extract of Milefleurs,"' innocent OF the
knowledge that its essential ingredient is
derived from the drainage OF the COW
house! The perfumed toilet soap is
scented, and confectionery favored with
oil of bitter almonds artiiclaly prepared by
the action OF nitric acid on the fetid oil OF
pas.tar. The pure "fruit syrups" OF some
of tbe soda-water vendors are made from
Fictitious oils that chemists have learned
how to produce. Singularly enough, too,
the latter are usually derived from sub
stances OF disgusting odor. The oil OF
pine-apples is obtained from product OF
the action of putrid cheese on sugar, or
by making a soap with butter and distil-
ling it with alcohol and sulphuric acid.
| The peculiar fetid substance called "fusel
oil" serves as base for several artificial fla
yors; thus, distilled. with sulphuric acid
and acetate Of potash, it gives oil OF pears
with sulphuric acid and bichromate OF pot
ash the product is oil of apples. And so,
too, by other means known to the chemist.
refuse corks are made to yield essence OF
| mulberries, tallow to put forth essence OF
melons, and the wood OF the willow-tree to
part with oil of wintergreen lndIstingulsha;
| BILE from the genuine article. The fact, we'll
known to the schooLboy, that by the action
| of sulphuric acid on starch, sawdust, woody
| fibre. &C., saccharine substance called
glucose" or grape-sugar, is produced, has
not by any means been lost sight OF in this
country, notwithstanding the low price OF
cane sugar. Extensive works for the manu-
facture OF this article are located in one OF
the largest cities of the western part OF the
State. and almost every day one or two car.
loads arrive-occasionally consigned to Erl.
rope, but oftener to the various brewers oil
the city and vicinity, and to extensive deal
ers in molasses. All these matters show O
direct application OF science to an indus
trial purpose, and imply knowledge OF the
| deepest investigation into organic chemls:
| try.
One OF the most singular discoveries in
the history OF agricultural chemistry is due
wholly to the French. Sheep draw from
4 the land on which they Craze a large guam.
/ tity OF potash, which Is eventually eXcreted
from the skin along with the sweat. 1t was
shown by Chevreu that this peculiar pot
ash compound (sssuint y forms at least
one third OF the weight Of raw merino
wool; while 1t constitutes about Is per cent.
of the weight OF the fresh fleece. AS it is
easy to extract the "suint" by mere I'M
mersion In water, the wool manufacturers
can readily produce more or less concen.
trated solutions, from which the potash
may be recovered by appropriate treat.
ment. The development OF this new in.
dustry is principally due to Mn. Maumne
and Rogelet, whose process, in operation
ut most Of the great seats OF wool manu-
4 facture, Is very simple. They eyaporate
the solutions to drypess, and place the
4 residuum ID retorts, and distill 1t very
4 much the same as coal is distilled at gas
!. works. The result is that while much gas
/ tis evolved which can be collected and used
J i'm lmaDy ways! there remains product
i consisting OF carbonate, sulphate, and chic
8 ride OF potassium. These salts are sepa'