heated by steam blown in to over 212° Fahr. The ammonium sulphide is
led direct into an absorbing vessel full of brine.

It now only remains to see how it is proposed to deal with the
sulphureted hydrogen gas which represents the sulphur recovered from
the waste. It can be burnt direct to sulphurous acid and utilized for
the production of vitriol perfectly pure and free from arsenic,
commanding a special price. But Messrs. Parnell & Simpson state that
by a method of restricted combustion they are able to obtain nearly
all the sulphur as such, and put it on the market on equal terms with
the best Sicilian sulphur. We did not gather that this has yet been
done on the working scale, however.

It will be seen that it is proposed that a Leblanc alkali maker shall
continue to produce a portion of his make by the old process, but
shall erect plant to enable him to make another portion by the Parnell
& Simpson method, using his Leblanc "waste" in place of the caustic
lime now employed by the ammonia soda people. He is thus to have the
benefit of the cheaper process for, say, half his make, while he
further cheapens the ammonia method by saving the cost of lime and by
recovering the sulphur otherwise lost in his waste.

The saving in lime is stated to be one ton for each ton of sodium
carbonate produced, or in cash value about 10s. per ton at Widnes,
while the sulphur saved is estimated to be 6 cwt. per ton of sodium
carbonate. We reproduce these figures with all reserve, not being
ourselves sufficiently specialists to judge of them. But we were
assured that they represent the minimum expected, and reasons were
given to us to show that they would probably be exceeded.