By CHAS. CATLETT and R.C. PRICE.

The analyses of several of these "fire extinguishers" have been published, showing that they are composed essentially of an aqueous solution of one or more of the following bodies; sodium, potassium, ammonium, and calcium chlorides and sulphates, and in small amount borax and sodium acetate; while their power of extinguishing fire is but three or fourfold that of water.

One of these grenades of a popular brand of which I have not found an analysis was examined by Mr. Catlett with the following results: The blue corked flask was so open as to show that it contained no gas under pressure, and upon warming its contents, but 4 or 5 cubic inches of a gas were given off. The grenade contained about 600 c.c. of a neutral solution, which gave on analysis:

¹Trace of bromide.

As this mixture of substances naturally suggested the composition of the "mother liquors" from salt brines, Mr. Price made an analysis of such a sample of "bittern" from the Snow Hill furnace, Kanawha Co., W.Va., obtaining the following composition:

¹Trace of bromide.

There is of course some variation in the bittern obtained from different brines, but it appears of interest to call attention to this correspondence in composition, as indicating that the liquid for filling such grenades is obtained by adding two volumes of water to one of the "bittern." The latter statement is fairly proved by the presence of the bromine, and certainly from an economical standpoint such should be its method of manufacture. - Amer. Chem. Jour.