On rendering gunpowder non-explosive / by J.S.G. Ryley.

Date:
[1865?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On rendering gunpowder non-explosive / by J.S.G. Ryley. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    On Bendering Gunpowde?- Non-Explosive. By Lieut.-Col. J. S. G. KvLEY,H.E.I.C.S.,Ediuburgli,* late Bengal Cavalry. In consequence of the disastrous results caused by ex- plosions of large quantities of gunpowder from time to time, and the awful disaster at Erith and other places not long ago, and subsequently the great alarm created some time since, owing to 'the very large quantity of gunpowder stored in Edinburgh Castle, my attention has been especially directed of late to the endeavour to devise some plan by which gun- powder might be rendered less dangerous. During the last twelve years upwards of fifteen serious explosions have been recorded in the public journals, by which more tJian 600 persons have been killed, and many tliousand persons wounded, and property to the extent of more than two millions of pounds sterling has been destroyed. ^ After various experiments, extending over a considerable time, I succeeded in discovering a simple, inexpensive, and most efficacious method, which, if adopted by the Govern- ment, will not only render unnecessary the enormous expense of erecting new magazines, but be the means of saving human life, and much valuable property, both public and private. The principle of my invention consists in filling up the interstices of the gunpowder, and thus thoroughly isolating the grains, with a non-combustible medium, whicli is re- quired to be of very fine powder, so as to be readily and quickly sifted out again when the powder is required for use, and this property has been known to me for a long time. Whilst I have recently paid special attention to this de- partment of the subject, I may state that for many years I have more or less devoted myself to the consideration of various matters connected with gunpowder. The great loss experienced when gunpowder is transported by land carriage in barrels, especially over the rude tracts in some parts of India, causes it to be much ground down to fine dust, which falls to the bottom of each barrel, and thus XT* ^f ^foT '^ ^^Periments exhibited in illustration, 27th November 1865. Awarded the Society's Silver Medal. VOL. VII. li
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