_Sulphuric Acid._--The first process for manufacturing sulphuric acid or vitriol was by placing some burning sulphur in a closed vessel containing some water. The water absorbed the acid formed by the burning sulphur. It was next discovered that by mixing with the sulphur some nitre, much more sulphuric acid could be produced per given quantity of brimstone. At first large glass carboys were used, but in 1746 the carboys were replaced by chambers of lead containing water at the bottom, and in these lead chambers the mixture of sulphur and nitre was burnt on iron trays. Next, although gradually, the plant was divided into two portions--a furnace for burning the sulphur, and a chamber for receiving the vapours. The system was thus developed into the one followed at the present time. The sulphur, or, in most cases, cupreous iron pyrites (a combination of iron and copper with sulphur), is burned in specially constructed kilns or furnaces, and the hot gases, consisting essentially of sulphur dioxide with the excess of air, pass through flues in which are placed cast-iron "nitre pots" containing a mixture of nitre (sodium nitrate) and vitriol. The gases thus become mixed with nitrous fumes or gaseous oxides of nitrogen, and, after cooling, are ready for mixing with steam or water spray in the lead chambers in which the vitriol is produced. These oxides of nitrogen enable the formation of sulphuric acid to take place more quickly by playing the part of oxygen-carriers. Sulphuric acid is formed by the union of oxygen with sulphur dioxide and water; the oxides of nitrogen combine with the oxygen of the air present in the chambers, then give up this oxygen to the sulphur dioxide and water or steam to form sulphuric acid, again combine with more oxygen, and so on. The exact processes or reactions are of course much more complicated, but the above represents what is practically the ultimate result. It is evident that the gases leaving the last lead chamber in which the formation of vitriol is effected, must still contain nitrous fumes, and it becomes a matter of importance to recover them, so that they can be used over again. To effect this object, use is made of the solubility of nitrous fumes in strong vitriol. The gases from the last lead chamber of the series are passed through what is called a Gay-Lussac tower (the process was invented by the eminent French chemist Gay-Lussac), which is a tower made of lead, supported by a wooden framework, and filled with coke or special stoneware packing, over which strong vitriol is caused to flow. The vitriol dissolves the nitrogen oxides, and so-called "nitrous vitriol" flows out at the base of the tower. The recovery of the nitrogen compounds from the nitrous vitriol is effected in Glover towers (the invention of John Glover of Newcastle), which also serve to concentrate to some extent the weak acid produced in the lead chambers, and to cool the hot gases from the sulphur burners or pyrites kilns. The