A treatise on the origin, progress, prevention, and cure of dry rot in timber

by Thomas Allen Britton

For the professional reader we find we have three hard facts:

The most successful patents may be placed in three classes, and we give the key-note of their success.

1st. One material and one application.—Creosote, Petroleum. Order—Ancient Egyptians, or Bethell’s, Burmese.

2nd. Two materials and one application.—Chloride of zinc and water; sulphate of copper and water; corrosive sublimate and water. Order—Burnett, Boucherie, Kyan.

3rd. Two materials and two applications.—Sulphate of iron and water; afterwards sulphate of lime and water. Payne.

We thus observe there are twice three successful patent processes.

Any inventions which cannot be brought under these three classes have had a short life; at least, we think so.

The same remarks will apply to external applications for wood—for instance, coal-tar, one application, is more used for fencing than any other material.

We are much in want of a valuable series of experiments on the application of various chemicals on wood to resist burning to pieces; without causing it to rot speedily.