Excerpt from Journal of the Franklin Institute of the State of Pennsylvania and Mechanics' Register, Vol. 21: Devoted to Mechanical and Physical Science, Civil Engineering, the Arts and Manufactures, and the Recording of American and Other Patented Inventions

This contradiction between the results obtained by Mr. Faujas de Saint-Fond and Mr. Chaptal is easily explained, for one used hydraulic lime in his experiments, and the other used fat lime.

Mr. Chaptal published in 1787 a memoir on the use of the ochreous earths of the south of France. These earths were calcined in a kiln like those used in some countries for burning lime. The kilns are reversed cones from about eight feet eight inches to about ten feet ten inches in height, and are from six to eight feet in diameter at the base: an opening is left near the apex of the cone, through which to withdraw the products of calcination: these kilns are filled by placing alternately, a layer of sea-coal or turf, and a layer of the ochreous earth, the fire is kindled, after a few layers have been placed, and, when it is in full action, other alternate layers are added until the kiln is full. When the lower portion, which was the first heated, is sufficiently calcined, it is withdrawn as fast as necessary, and other new layers of clay and fuel ate successively added above. Thus the burning is continual, the clays heat gently near the top of the kiln, and are subject to a much greater heat in the middle: they gradually cool towards the bottom, by the action of the current of air, after the fuel is consumed. This manner of burning earths, possesses great advantages as I shall have occasion to show. It would be equally advantageous to calcine hydraulic limes in these kilns, because, as we have seen above, it is very important to use these limes soon after they are burned. By constructing several kilns of this kind, there might be as great a supply of fresh lime as could be needed.

Mr. Chaptal attributed to iron, a great effect in improving puzzalonas, and he appears to have attributed a very feeble one to alumine. Mr. Vicat says, on this subject, in his memoir: "If, as Mr. Chaptal assures us, clays deprived of iron, and calcined, cannot be employed as puzzalonas, it must be the oxide of iron that acts principally on the silex and modifies it, by the aid of fire in the ochreous earths, as the lime does in the hydraulic limestones: the alumine, therefore, appears to take the least part in these reactions, it does, nevertheless, make part of good puzzalonas."

Experiments which follow will show that iron plays no part in the preparation of puzzalonas, while alumine is very active. We shall see. also, that there is another substance which is very active and which has occasioned the divergencies of opinion on the preparation of puzzalona, but I will not anticipate, and will go on with the statement of the various attempts made to produce factitious puzzalona.

From experiments made at Cherbourg in 1787 by Mr. de Cessart, it appeared that basalts, obtained in the Department of the Haute-Loire, and pulverized after having been calcined, produced a mortar possessing all the qualities of those made with Italian puzzalona. Analysis shows this basalt to contain in one hundred parts, the following, Alumine, 16.75, Silex, 44.50, Oxide of iron, 20.00, Lime, 9.50, oxide of Manganese, 2.87, Soda. 2.60, Water, 2.00, loss, 2.28.

The works in the port of Cherbourg required a great quantity of puzzalona, but the war which broke out with England on the rupture of the treaty of Amiens, raised the substance to an exorbitant price: it was calculated that the price of a cubic metre (35.34 cubic feet) cost, in 1808, more than 400 francs (about $76.00.)

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