e prior to stamping
and wrapping.

_Saponifying Mineral Oil._--This sounds somewhat incongruous, as mineral
oil is entirely unsaponifiable. Most of the suggestions for this purpose
consist of the incorporation of mineral oil, or mineral oil emulsified
by aid of Quillaia bark, with a cocoa-nut oil soap, and in all these
instances the hydrocarbon merely exists in suspension.

G. Reale (Fr. Pat. 321,510, 1902), however, proposes to heat mineral oil
together with spermaceti and strong alkali, and states that he
transforms the hydrocarbons into alcohols, and these, absorbing oxygen,
become fatty acids, which are converted into soap by means of the
alkali.

In this connection may be quoted the interesting work of Zelinsky
(_Russ. Phys. Chem. Ges. Zeits. Angew. Chem._, 1903, 37). He obtained
substances, by acting with carbon dioxide upon magnesia compounds of
chlorinated fractions of petroleum, which when decomposed by dilute
sulphuric acid, yielded various organic acids. One of these acids on
heating with glycerine formed tri-octin, which had the properties of a
fat.

Dr. Engler, in confirmation of the theory of the animal origin of some
petroleums, obtained what might be described as petroleum (for it
contained almost all the hydrocarbons present in the natural mineral
oil) by distilling animal fats and oils under pressure.

_Electrical Production of Soap._--Attempts have been made to produce
soap electrically by Messrs. Nodon, Brettonneau and Shee (Eng. Pat.
22,129, 1897), and also by Messrs. Merry and Noble (Eng. Pat. 2,372,
1900).

In the former patent, a mixture of soda-lye and fat is agitated by
electricity at a temperature of 194 deg.-212 deg. F. (90 deg.-100
deg. C.), while in the latter caustic alkali is electrolytically
produced from brine, and deposited on wire-netting in the presence
of fat, which is thereby saponified.

CHAPTER VI.

TREATMENT OF SETTLED SOAP.

_Cleansing--Crutching--Liquoring of
Soaps--Filling--Neutralising, Colouring and
Perfuming--Disinfectant Soaps--Framing--Slabbing--Barring--Open
and Close Piling--Drying--Stamping--Cooling._

_Cleansing._--After completion of saponification, and allowing the
contents of the pan to settle into the various layers, as described in
the preceding chapter, the actual soap, forming the second layer, is now
transferred to the frames, this being generally termed "cleansing" the
soap. The thin crust or layer at the top of the