221
Particulars as to the value of this mass are unknown; + of 13 mill, francs, and consists exclusively of wax-lights
t cannot be cheap and the preparation may not be free and round wooden matches. The traflic of the Société
Tom danger. {iéntrale is therefore as follows 1—
Among the non-phosphoric mixtures must be included Domestic consumption.
‘hat suggested by Ileck, containing finely divided sodium Exportation
liffused in paraffin. xp torr eee
As ingenious as are the methods proposed to counteract
he unfavourable attributes of the sodium, this proposal
will in all probability never be practically realised,
especially as better avents are known.
For blasting charges under water Fleck’s mixture might
nossibly be applicable, but the spontaneous decomposition
which gradually sets in would be found a difficulty. E.
Kopp* has already called attention to its disadvantages,
whilst Springmihl, after a careful examination, and also
Jettel, deny that it possesses any practical value.
At the Exhibition France, Sweden, and Austria repreented
 the match trade,
On behalf of France appeared the Compagnie Geucrale
les Alinmettes Chimique, firmed in the month of October,
1872, and possessing the legal monopoly for the production
of matches in the whole of France. For this privilege it
pays to the Government a fixed tax of 16,000,000 francs as
ong as the consumption in France does not exceed
jo milliards. Beyond this consumption there is a progressive
 duty of 0 centimes per 1oo matches. Hence this
sompany alone represents the whole of the match trade of
“rance. The former manufa&urers, in expectation of the
zxpropriation which they had daily to await, did not
exhibit. The importance of this manufa®ure for France
ppears from the following figures.
The number of the (former) match-works in France,
arge and small, amounts to no fewer than 833. ‘The
‘nland consumption is on the average five matches daily
per head, or 70 milliards yearly. The company must,
therefore, meet the enormous daily demand of 180 millions
without maintaining the old 833 works in activity, It has,
therefore, decided to concentrate the production in twelve
establishments, which will be distributed in the country
wceording to the need of production and the convenience
for procuring the neccessary materials. It is of opinion
that it will be possible to introduce into each of these
works all those improvements, industrial and sanitary,
vhich science has pointed out as requisite,
Of the 180 millions of matches daily required 150 millions
are of wood and 30 millions of wax. The former require
yearly 45,000 cubic metres of wood (oak, poplar, aspen,
pine, and birch), 1200 to 1500 tons of roll-sulphur, and
300 tons of phosphorus (1 ton =100n kilos.). The 30 millions
 of wax-matches represent a yearly consumption of—
300,000 kilos. spun cotton.
300,000 kilos. stearin.
60 tons of phosphorus,
To this must be added the consumption of the other
articles, such as red-lead, gum, &c., of which the com.
pany's report to the jury gives no account.
This daily produdion of 180 million matches requires
wbove 6000 workpeople, both men and women. The
varied, more or less elegant, pasteboard boxes are manu.
factured by the company, 3 millions being required daily,
‘equiring a yearly consumption of at least 2500 tons of
pasteboard of various qualities. As to the number of
workpeople engaged in the production of these boxes the
‘eport gives no particulars, but we may conclude from
other sources that about 12,000 persons of both sexes will
wifice, to whom must further be added those employed in
oacking and sending off. to the number of at least 200
persons,
_ The above figures refer merely to the home consumption,
 but there is also a considerable exportation, not merely
oy sea, but even into other countries of Europe. The
French marks, * Roche,” * Causemille,” * Meiffreu,"” are
0 request at La Plata, Buenos Ayres, Japan, Guatemala,
ery, &c. The exportation amounts to the vearlv vale

Novas ig} Action of Anhydrous Acids upon Anhydrous Bases.

[T is still a question if the anhydrous acids, which certain
nodern chemists call anhydrides in order to deny altoether
 their acid fun@ion, are or are not acids. If we
femonstrate that anhydrous acids, of whatever nature,
ire capable of uniting entirely with anhydrous bases, dif-‘ering
 also in their nature, the theory of Lavoisier will
receive a signal confirmation.

[. Action of the Anhydrous Mincral Acids upon Anhydrous
Mineral Bases.
M. Bussy has already shown that sulphate of baryta
nay be formed by bringing in conta@ anhydrous sulphuric
 acid and anhydrous baryta. Borate of lime may
ven be formed by projetting anhydrous lime into anhy-Irous
 boric acid in a state of tranquil fusion. The comination
 is accompanied with the evolution ot heat and
‘ht

Loop, Monit. Scientif. 18+n