Cotton is one of the best applications to recent burns. Applied to the part, it will, in a surprising manner, abate the violence of the pain, and remove the inflammation.
Cotton is soluble in alkaline ley. For some of the earths, it has a strong affinity, particularly alumina; as also for several metallic oxides, and tannin. The action of mordants, in dying of cotton-goods, depends on these affinities. Nitric acid converts it into oxalic acid.
Cotton wick for lamps, candles, &c. is rendered very inflammable by spirit of turpentine. By dipping the end of the wick in turpentine, the candle will inflame at once, the moment flame is applied. For candle-making, the wick is sometimes dipped in a solution of camphor in spirits, or in a melted mixture of camphor and wax. See [Candle.]
Sec. LIII. Of Bone and Ivory.
Bone, which is considered to be a combination of phosphate of lime, gelatinous matter, animal oil, &c. is used occasionally in fire-works. By destructive distillation, bones, or osseous matter, afford ammonia, Dippel's animal oil, &c.; and, when consumed by fire, leave a white ash, which is composed principally of phosphate of lime. Bone-ash is the result of the combustion of bone; for, while all the gelatinous substance, oil, &c. are burnt off, that, which composes the basis of bone, and which distinguishes it from gristle, remains in the form of ash. Bone-ash furnishes phosphorus by a certain process. See [Phosphorus.] Diluted muriatic acid will take up the phosphate of lime of bone and leave the gelatin. This mode is recommended for the separation of gelatin from bone.
Bones, when carbonized in the same manner as wood, furnish what is called bone-black, but commonly known by the name of ivory-black. It is nothing more than animal charcoal.
In Pyrotechny, bone, in the form of raspings, is employed to communicate a lustre to the flame of gunpowder; but, for this purpose, the most compact, and that, which contains the least gelatin, is usually employed. Hence ivory is preferred. Ivory, in the form of raspings, communicates to flame a bright silver colour; and, on that account, is preferred to all other kinds of bone. The compositions, into which it enters, will be mentioned in a subsequent part of the work.
Ivory is the tusk, or tooth of defence, of the male elephant, and is an intermediate substance between bone and horn, not capable of being softened by fire. The finest and whitest ivory comes from the island of Ceylon. The tooth of the sea-horse is said to approach to ivory, properly so called. It is, however, harder, and, for that reason, preferred by dentists for making artificial teeth. The coal of ivory is remarkably black; but the so called ivory-black, sold in the shops, is nothing else than bone-black.
Bone and ivory may be stained of various colours. One hundred parts of ivory contain,