Emmensite has been subjected to experiment by the direction of the U.S. Secretary for War, and found satisfactory. A sample of Emmensite, in the form of a coarse powder, was first tried in a pistol, and proved superior in propelling power to ordinary gunpowder. When tested against explosive gelatine, it did very good work in shattering iron plates. It is claimed for this explosive that it enjoys the distinction of being the only high explosive which may be used both for firearms and blasting. This view is supported by the trials made by the American War Office authorities, and shows Emmensite to be a useful explosive both for blasting and as a smokeless powder. Its explosive power, as tested, is 283 tons per square inch, and its specific gravity is 1.8. Abel proposed to use picric acid for filling shells. His _Picric Powder_ consisted of 3 parts of saltpetre, and 2 of picrate of ammonia. _Victorite_ consists of chlorate of potash, picric acid, and olive oil, and with occasionally some charcoal. It has the form of a coarse yellowish grey powder, and leaves an oily stain on paper, and it is very sensitive to friction and percussion. The composition is as follows:--KClO_{3} = 80 parts; picric acid, 110 parts; saltpetre, 10 parts; charcoal, 5 parts. It is not manufactured in England. _Tschiner's Powder_ is very similar to Victorite in composition, but contains resin. A list of the chief picric powders will be found in the late Colonel J.P. Cundill, R.A.'s "Dictionary of Explosives." CHAPTER VII. _ANALYSIS OF EXPLOSIVES._ Kieselguhr Dynamite--Gelatine Compounds--Tonite--Cordite--Vaseline-- Acetone--Scheme for Analysis of Explosives--Nitro-Cotton--Solubility Test-- Non-Nitrated Cotton--Alkalinity--Ash and Inorganic Matter--Determination of Nitrogen--Lunge, Champion and Pellet's, Schultze-Tieman, and Kjeldahl's Methods--Celluloid--Picric Acid and Picrates--Resinous and Tarry Matters-- Sulphuric Acid and Hydrochloric Acid and Oxalic Acid--Nitric Acid-- Inorganic Impurities--General Impurities and Adulterations--Potassium Picrate, &c.--Picrates of the Alkaloids--Analysis of Glycerine--Residue-- Silver Test--Nitration--Total Acid Equivalent--Neutrality--Free Fatty Acids--Combined Fatty Acids--Impurities--Oleic Acid--Sodium Chloride-- Determination of Glycerine--Waste Acids--Sodium Nitrate--Mercury Fulminate--Cap Composition--Table for Correction of Volumes of Gases, for Temperature and Pressure ~Kieselguhr Dynamite.~--The material generally consists of 75 per cent. of nitro-glycerine and 25 per cent. of the infusorial earth kieselguhr. The analysis is very simple, and may be conducted as follows:--Weigh out about 10 grms. of the substance, and place over calcium chloride in a desiccator for some six to eight days, and then re-weigh. The loss of weight gives the moisture. This will generally be very small, probably never more than 1 per cent., and usually less.