179 / 308
X.
THE
PROCESS
OF
THE
MANUFACTURE
OF
SULPHURIC
ACID.
THERE
is
scarcely
any
article
that
is
used
for
such
a
different
variety of
purposes,
arid
one,
too,
that
is
so
highly
useful,
of
which
there
is
so
little
known
of
its
production,
as
oil
of
vitriol.
Although
it
may
not
belong
to
the
peculiar
province
of
the
manufacturer
of
liquors
to
manufacture
this
acid,
yet a
knowledge
of
its
formation
and
general
properties
is
necessary
to
a
complete
practical
knowledge
of
the
manufac-
ture
of
wines,
liquors,
<fcc.
Sulphuric
acid
is
obtained
by
burning
sulphur,
mixed
with one
eighth
of
its
weight
of
nitre,
over
a
stratum
of
water,
contained
in
a
chamber
lined
with
sheet
lead
;
if
the
sulphur
was
burned
by
itself,
the
product
would
be
sulphurous
acid,
which
contains
only
two
thirds
as
much
oxygen
as
sulphuric
acid
;