Volume 1

Spons' encyclopaedia of the industrial arts, manufactures, and raw commercial products / edited by Charles G. Warnford Lock.

  • Spon, Edward.
Date:
1882
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Spons' encyclopaedia of the industrial arts, manufactures, and raw commercial products / edited by Charles G. Warnford Lock. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    PKEFACE. In adding to existing technical literature by the issue of this Encyclopaedia, the publishers believe that they are supplying a long-felt want, both in the range of subjects dealt with, and in the manner of dealing with them. The most notable and important feature is undoubtedly represented by the Eaw Commercial Products. These may be said to have a three-fold interest for Englishmen,—firstly as being mostly derived from our colonial and other possessions, secondly as forming a very large item of our carrying trade and indirect commerce, and thii-dly as constituting the basis and mainstay of nearly all our great manufacturing industries. Yet singularly enough, all antecedent and contemporaneous encyclopaedias have failed to treat this extensive subject in a worthy and comprehensive manner. Single articles certainly have appeared on the most prominent staples, such as cotton, indiarubber, tobacco, cinchona, olive- oil, copal; but even these have been discussed from the historical and purely scientific point of view, rather than as objects of trade and manufacture, while the thousand and one less known (though perhaptj no less valuable) allied substances are totally omitted. One of the greatest aims of this Encyclopfedia is to remedy this defect, and to afi'ord the producer, the merchant, the manufacturer, and everyone having an interest in such materials, the fullest information as to where and how they are grown and prepared, what qualifications they are required to possess, what uses they are or may be applied to, and how their adulteration and falsification may be detected. There is manifestly great advantage in arranging these Eaw Commercial Products in groups, according to their similarity of origin, character, and application, placing them in alphabetical order for facility of reference. Such is the plan followed with the important classes indicated by Drugs, Dyestufis [organic]. Fibrous Substances [from plants], Narcotics, Oils and Fatty Sub- stances, Eesinous and Gummy Substances, Spices, Starches, Sugar, Tannin, Timber, and with many smaller families. While the recognized staples of each group necessarily claim the largest space, no member, however small or apparently insignificant, has been omitted, when reliable statements concerning it could be procured; and it may be said without hesitation, that greater diligence in collecting information, and more careful accuracy in revising it, would have been difiicult. For this reason alone, if for no other, this Encyclopaedia must for many years remain a standard work of reference. Other subjects which do not admit of convenient grouping, such as Coffee, Cocoa, Tea, are written with similar care and minuteness. And altogether it will be found that the articles of b