This tree, Fagus Castanea, Linn. is very abundant in New-England and the middle states; and occurs in the mountainous districts, as far southward as South-Carolina, or perhaps even Georgia. It is one of the stateliest trees of the forest; scarcely less distinguished by the beauty of its foliage, than by the durability of its wood.
By repeated analyses, conducted with the minutest attention to every circumstance which could ensure accuracy, it appears, incredible as it may seem, that the chesnut wood contains twice as much tannin as ross'd[45] oak bark, and six-sevenths as much colouring matter (which gives a black with iron,) as logwood. I am aware that nothing could be farther from the common apprehension than such results; but the uniform success of a great variety of experiments in tanning and dying, in addition to the other kind of evidence, should satisfy the most incredulous.
The leather tanned with it, has, in every instance, been superior to that tanned in a comparative experiment, with oak bark; being firmer, less porous, and at the same time more pliable. The reason for this difference, will probably be found in the high state of oxygenizement of the bark, particularly of the epidermis, by which it is rendered to a certain degree acrid and corrosive. Dr. Bancroft was perhaps the first who noticed the oxygenizement of barks. He attributes the dark brown colour of the epidermis of his quercitron, to this cause; and as a confirmation of the idea, I have observed that ink made of the epidermis of another kind of bark, though at first not to be distinguished by the colour from that made of the cellular and cortical parts, is incomparably less permanent.
As a material for making ink, the wood of the chesnut is probably unrivalled. Combined with iron in any proportion, it gives, as it is dilute or concentrated, a pure blue or blue-black; while galls, sumach, &c. &c. unless combined with a greater proportion than is consistent with the highest degree of permanency, afford a black more or less inclining to a reddish brown. The lake of the chesnut is indeed a blue, and not to be distinguished by the eye from indigo; but when diffused on paper, this same substance becomes an intense shining black. In dying, little difference is observable between the chesnut and galls, and sumach, except that the former has a rather greater affinity for wool, &c. than the latter, and of course requires less boiling. Its permanency has been completely tested by long exposure to the sun and the weather; but no doubt can exist on this head, if the position of Berthollet be true, that permanent blacks are formed only by the combination of iron and tannin.
To prepare the chesnut wood for the purposes of tanning, a mode has been devised for reducing it to a suitable degree of fineness. This method consists in the application of knives, either in the direction of, or transversely to the grain, by a rotatory motion. This mode obviously involves the greatest possible economy of moving power. Messrs. B. and M. Stebbins, of West-Springfield, who are making arrangements for going largely into the exportation of the article, have in construction a machine upon this plan.
As might be expected, the inspissated aqueous extract of the chesnut, bears a near resemblance in many particulars, to catechu. Professor Dewey, of William's College, who at my request, has gone through an extensive and elaborate course of experiments, informed me that he obtained a quarter more of the gelatinous precipitate from the former, than from the latter. By the taste, the two substances are not to be distinguished, except that the former is more pungent. It leaves upon the tongue, the same permanent and refreshing sweetness, for which the other is so much prized in the east; where it is used as an article of luxury, with betel nut. Might not the extract be advantageously substituted for catechu, in the celebrated life preserving composition of Dr. Pearson; the object being to concentrate the greatest possible quantity of nutritious and tonic substances in the smallest weight.
The colouring properties of the two substances, are entirely different. After the discovery, twelve or fifteen years since, of the composition of the terra japonica, attempts were made in England to introduce it into the materia tingentia, as a substitute for galls; but unfortunately, like the extract of quercitron, it affords with iron nothing but a meagre olive; and Dr. Bancroft states, that in a great number of trials, he was unable, by the greatest accumulation, to produce any thing like a black, even upon wool, much less upon cotton and silk.
A singular fact, which I observed in the course of my experiments, is worthy of notice. I had prepared for a certain purpose, solutions from the wood of the trunk of a tree, about three feet, and from that of a limb about three inches in diameter. The same quantity of wood and of the solvent was employed in both cases. On adding to each the same quantity of the solution of gelatine, abundant precipitates immediately appeared, as usual, apparently much the same in quantity; but to my astonishment, the size of the several congeries in each, bore a near proportion to that of the sticks from which they were obtained, not differing much from that of middling and of very small flakes of snow. Is not this an extraordinary fact, evincive of a complication in the arrangement of these bodies hitherto unsuspected. May it not at some future period, lead to a nomenclature of precipitates; affording, like the crystallography of Haüy, a new and accurate mode of determining the compositions of substances; and perhaps throwing light upon the obscure subject of chemical, or if you please, electro-chemical affinities. The size of a stick might probably be ascertained with almost as much precision, as by actual admeasurement. The solutions in this experiment, were formed by maceration in cold water. When hot water was employed, and the process was completed in two or three hours, the appearance of the precipitate was very different, the congeries being smaller, irregular, and not well defined.
I have only to add, that having taken measures to secure the discovery, both in this country and Europe, it is my wish to bring it into general use as speedily as possible.
I am, Sir, very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
WILLIAM SHELDON.