I. Ordinary pressure: 
10 grms. cellulose, with 580 c.c. of caustic
soda solution, sp. gr. 1.09                 21.99
10 grms. of soft wood, treated as above        49.19
10   "      hard   "     "          "          53.68

II.  Pressure of five atmospheres: 
10 grms. cellulose, with 500 c.c. caustic soda
solution of sp. gr. 1.099                  58.02
10 grms. of soft wood, treated as above        75.85
10   "      hard   "     "          "          69.80

III.  Pressure of ten atmospheres: 
10 grms. of cellulose                          58.99
10   "      soft wood                          81.80
10   "      hard  "                            70.39

IV.  Ordinary pressure: 
10 grms. of cellulose, with 500 c.c. caustic
soda solution of sp. gr. 1.162               21.88
10 grms. of soft wood                          35.45
10   "      hard  "                            46.43

V. Pressure of five atmospheres: 
10 grms. of cellulose, with 500 c.c. caustic
soda solution of sp. gr. 1.162               77.33
10 grms. of soft wood                          97.13
10   "      hard  "                            91.48

VI.  Ordinary pressure: 
10 grms. of cellulose, with 500 c.c. caustic
soda solution of sp. gr. 1.043               12.07
10 grms. of soft wood                          28.37
10   "      hard  "                            30.25

VII.  Pressure of five atmospheres: 
10 grms. of cellulose, with 500 c.c. of caustic
soda solution of sp. gr. 1.043               15.36
10 grms. of soft wood                          50.96
10   "      hard  "                            55.66

VIII.  Pressure of ten atmospheres: 
10 grms. of cellulose, with 200 c.c. caustic
soda solution of sp. gr. 1.043               20.28
10 grms. of soft wood                          70.31
10   "      hard  "                            65.59

From this it is evident that by increasing the temperature and pressure the solvent action of the alkali is increased, but the strength of the lye exercises an influence which is even more marked.  Thus, at a pressure of five atmospheres, the loss of cellulose was 0.75 with a caustic lye containing 14 per cent. of NaHO, while it was only 0.05 with a lye of 8 per cent.  NaHO.

To further elucidate the action of the alkali under the conditions given above, the author has estimated the amount of precipitate which alcohol gives with the soda solutions, after boiling with the wood: 

1.      2.     3. 
Specific gravity of NaHO solutions          1.043   1.09  1.162
Soft wood, ordinary pressure                1.043  traces  4.8
"     pressure of five atmospheres     1.043   2.0   26.8
"        "        ten      "           1.043   1.7    —­
Hard wood, ordinary pressure               11.10   27.40  30.80
"     pressure of five atmospheres     1.10   25.70  15.8
"        "        ten      "           traces  5.20  15.8

The estimation of the precipitate, produced in the soda solutions employed in the experiments cited above, gives: