CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY ENGINEER; NG LIBRARY iii IMPERIAL MINERAL RESOURCES BUREAU. THE MINERAL INDUSPRY OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE FORETOS COUN CREE, WAR PERIOD. ATS EA De. QU 13-1919, LON DIN PRINTED AND PUBLISHED SY ‘ts wugSLY = s1LaTMONERY Fe. & any dooce ther or ait trom ee UE A TRSHERY OF IGK 20 we follo teense | Iuthieal Hours atveswat, Loxpos, St wind 2S ALINGDON ~ KET. i NOK, TW 82, VAL BR ATRL». ESTER St ANDREW'S CURCANT. RE OLEY Yost vane Kprsc atittua K PO ‘NDONB Lrp. tte a hAvooM BTMRS.. PUSS ian. Pee ta Net IMPERIAL MINERAL RESOURCES BUREAU. THE MINERAL INDUSTRY OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE AND FOREIGN COUNTRIES. WAR PERIOD. ARSENIC. (1913-1919.) LONDON. PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY His MAJESTYS SfATIONERY OFFICE. To be purchased through any Bookseller or directly trom HM. STATIONERY OFFICE at the See ae e8ses : IMPERIAL HOUSE, Kinasway, LONDON, and 38, ABINGDON STREET, LONDON, S.W.1; $7, PETER STREET. MANCHESTER; 1, St. ANDREW’S CRESCENT, CARDIFF; 23, FORTH STREET, EDINBURGH: or trom E. PONSONBY. LTp., 116, GRAFTON STREBI, DUBLIV 1920. Price 6d. Net. G 7% BRUT. Tm PERIAL. LN STITUTE , Cov dor. ae PREFACE. J919 = The present publication constitutes the first part of the digest of information on the Mineral Resources of the British Empire and Foreign Countries for the period 1913-1919. It is proposed to issue each part as it is completed, as it is considered that a more useful purpose will be served by so doing than by waiting for the completion of the whole digest. In future the digest will be issued annually. The parts are not monographs on the respective.minerals, but rather are in the nature of synopses of the information available as to the mineral industry for the period under review. Part IV. of the General Report of the Chief Inspector of Mines for the United Kingdom dealt with the mining statistics of the British Empire and Foreign Countries, but that publication ceased to be compiled and issued after the year 1912. It is necessary, therefore, to fill in the gap in statistical information . created by the cessation of that work, and for this reason the work of the Bureau has been devoted to giving some account of the progress of the mineral production of the Empire and of Foreign Countries over the period between 1913-1919. The complete filling in of the hiatus is rendered difficult, and, in respect of some countries, impossible, from the fact that records are not in all cases available for the war years, but every effort has been made to cover the ground as far as it is possible, and it is anticipated that in the future annual publica- tions the information will be much more complete. Whereas in Part IV of the report of the Chief Inspector of Mines the statistical matter was dealt with under the heading of Countries, in the scheme of the Bureau it is dealt with under the heading of Subjects, the better to meet the requirements of the various mineral and metallurgical industries. The question of adopting a uniform system of weights and measures has been considered, and it has been decided, that owing to the magnitude of the task involved in dealing with the period 1913-1919, the work of conversion of the figures would result in considerable loss of time in the publication of the infor- mation collected. It is, however, proposed to adopt a more uniform system in respect of current statistics in future issues of the annual mineral digest. Owing to the incomplete statistics available for the period under review it has been decided only in very special cases to graphically represent. statistics, but in issues dealing with sub- sequent years considerable recourse will be had to graphical representation. O88 O93 do 3 Labour and accident statistics will not be included in the 1913-1919 period, but will be given in subsequent annual issues. The Governors desire to record the obligation they are under to the technical committees for their valuable advice and help in regard to trade and technical matters generally in connection with these publications. R. A. 8. REDMAYNE. Chairman of the Governors. June, 1920. 2, Queen Anne’s Gate Buildings, London, 8.W.1. (31585) Wt, 32563697 500 221 (TS. Ps,370) HE St. G.2 CONTENTS. GENERAL WORLD’S PRODUCTION ... PRICES BRITISH EMPIRE ... United Kingdom ... Union of South Africa and Rhodesia ... Cana da India Australia FOREIGN COUNTRIES wis obs REFERENCES TO TECHNICAL LITERATURE Page. mo Oo CO 11 11 15 16 17 19 GENERAL. Arsenic minerals are rarely the direct object of mining enter- prise. Realgar and orpiment, the two sulphides of arsenic found in the form of veins in a fairly pure condition at some localities, ure exceptions. Most of the ursenic of commerce is obtained in the form of crude or refined white arsenic (arsenious oxide) as a by-product in the metallurgical treatment of lead, copper, silver, or other ores containing some arsenic-bearing mineral, usually arsenopyrite. Tuarge amounts of arsenic have been wasted in past years as smelter fume, especially in the United States, but in recent years it has been recovered to an increasing extent. This recovery serves two useful purposes: it reduces the nuisance caused by smelter fumes, and the product obtained is one of great utility in agriculture, glass manufacture, and other industries. Arsenic and its compounds have, indeed, a great variety of uses. Little information is available as to the relative amounts con- sumed in different industries, but these vary according to local conditions in different countries. In the United States it is esti- mated that glass manufacture claims about a third of the total consumption. The remainder is used chiefly for agricultural purposes, in the manufacture of weed-killers, insecticides, and sheep-dip. ‘The use of calcium arsenate has been introduced recently in the United States for the extermination of the boll- weevil pest. in cotton cultivation, Arsenic is added to shot for hardening purposes, but the total amount used in the form of the element is comparatively small. Other uses to which arsenic compounds are put include pig- ments, leather-making, and taxidermy. In connection with glass-making, arsenic is used to counteract the colouring effect of metallic oxides, and to give brilliancy to the lass. , Small amounts of arsenic compounds are used medicinally. One of the uses to which arsenic was put during the war was the manufacture of poison gas. Sodium arsenite is used largely in sheep and cattle dips, which play an important part in agriculture. In Australia arsenic compounds are used in the destruction of the prickly pear, which is one of the most troublesome pests. Queensland consumes annually 350 tons of arsenic, chiefly in this way, but this amount is altogether inadequate for the purpose of coping with the prickly-pear nuisance, and it is estimated that several thousand tons a year would be needed merely to prevent the spread of the pest, whilst to exterminate it altogether a vastly larger quantity would be required. In the latter part of the war period there was a large increase in the demand for arsenic and its compounds and the price rose to a remarkable extent. The London price of white arsenic, which was £13 12s. 6d. per ton just before the War, rose gradually until in February, 1918, it stood at £145 per ton. In sympathy with 31885 A2 6 rising prices there was an increased output, as shown in the world’s production table given on page 7, and much prospecting took place in Australia, Africa, and elsewhere for the purpose of discovering new sources of supply. WORLD'S PRODUCTION. The figures for the world’s production of arsenic are incomplete, and the practice of returning output in so many different ways in official returns, without detailed information in some cases as to the nature and composition of the product, makes it impossible to compile a production table on a uniform basis. A remarkable feature of the output figures given on page 7, is the lack of progress shown towards produc- tion on a large scale by all countries excepting the United States of America, which by substantial annual increments increased its output to such an extent that the production for 1918 almost quadrupled that of 1913, and was nearly double that of 1917. This feature is explained by the fact that the increased production in the United States has merely consisted in the increased recovery of waste arsenic from smelter fumes, and has not involved the opening up of new mineral deposits. It has been known for years that large amounts of arsenic have been going to waste in such a way as to constitute a public nuisance, and efforts to eliminate the nuisance, while at the same time placing large amounts of a useful product on the markets of the world, seem likely to meet with still, further success. If so, the United States may be able to export large amounts of white arsenic, as well as supply its own needs. ormas1¥ -saqtidd [Boldasie’ JO suo OFT suipnpuyy { I ore | = = Gl | gt le et te (ormesie oytqas) urdu pe “¢T KEL | Ole O6F 8 CTT Lrg “ (aprqdynstsy stuasav Jo sytodxa) wry “BT CLOT eee'g cere GRO (RRA E Oxe'e “* (olUesi8 OF1GM) voLtoury JO soqzwIg pays) “[] Inst 0} GET — : — = = ey y (ormasre oF) COIXETY “OT ocn | = = es | — — re ges ss (saqtadd Jeoruesiv) aredg +; ° © @f00T 096 Ca nes "s (otuasav oy1qa AT\sour) [edn410g “¢g £00'C oe ss (oqa ‘aprqdins ‘eptxo) Auemaex 7 | ‘ \ LOL greed ais: ae aoa (e10) aourly °9 4ror't 16 (08 I acd | iw es Pak eK anh ome (a10) viyerysny “Gg IRF R18 | Pee : _— | _ _ _ aa nie "** $94¥1]U90T09 UI OTUesIe (7) 91F'e Lees O1Fs | peel | BLT's Let GUE eee ee OTUEERE ae g —_: He) *: L a € = | = a = jo (olussre oyIq4) BOLIFY YyNog Jo uoruy “¢ ole sol —_ j — — = oo ee ai (e120) BIsepogy U1syqynog °F Ay CRP LFF Tue BaF | ug verses sees gaqradd peormesie (q) NICE 18¢'% Hye | LBS, Lege aL oe peuger pue epnio oruesie (7) | —: wopsury pay “{ “CIOL “ST6I ‘tat | “OTE “CIBI FIGI | ETGT — | (SI $08‘) 8404 oLyour UT ‘guasip fo UotonpIL $.p]40 At "ap poqess ON, “op ‘op e&F-BEF ‘op “op et acetal “op ‘op ‘op ‘op ‘op ‘op ‘op eee 19 W940 NT LOF-GOF op OFIF-8E1F ‘op 08F-48F ‘op eIF-Z1S a 10q0990) ‘op “S01 265-06 O61 F-GO1F “op ‘op LIS-9TF ‘op + zaqureydag LOS—SOL LF ‘op 801 GOLF ‘op ‘op ‘op “OP ] nang ‘SOL GPF “op oes Ge5-6BF ‘SGT QTF-91F | “SOL GIF-CIF GIs sro dip ces ‘ap "OD CO nap ie aap we ont UB ‘op O8F-SL5 ‘op ‘op GlF~SOL SIF “op “= SK braces 013-46 os “op ‘op ‘op ‘op wo qudy cox ap “Op hap "bp op ‘ap wee TORY “SOT 665-065 ‘op ‘op ‘op ‘op ‘op “op es Areniqog G65 OFTS-OG1F 993-GhF 08S—SG Bax LIS-91F ‘SOL SL “SOL SIF er Arenuep “OI6L “ST6T “LTBI ‘9T6I GT6T “PI6L ‘ST6I Sscli (XO pue sojreyH “sissoyy Aq poystuinj seimst7) *(uo} tad F) uopuoT ut owasap aqy yy fo saoug 9 BRITISH EMPIRE. In the British Empire only the United Kingdom and Canada lave figured prominently in the world’s arsenic production, to which they contribute approximately equal amounts. Towards the end of the period under review, South Africa and Australia began to take production of arsenic seriously, but as yet their out- put is small. United Kingdom.* Arsenical pyrites and white arsenic are obtained as by-products in the treatment of tin and copper ores in Cornwall and Devon. The product has been disposed of ut the mines partly in the form of arsenical pyrites, the percentage of arsenic in which is not recorded, and partly in the form of crude white arsenic obtained by calcining the ore. The arsenic output is obtained mainly from mines in the Camborne-Redruth and Kit Hill-Calstock districts, where the tin ores contain an admiature of arsenopymte. Mines near (‘alstock, which were formerly worked tor copper ores, rejected arsenical pyrites as useless, but the increase in value arising from war demands induced the owners of these mines to exploit the stopes as well as the dumps for arsenicul ore, and the supplies of this ore at the mines appear to be large. Tt will be seen from the output and value of arsenical py rites und white arsenic, as shown in the following table, that the increase in production has been small, but that the increase in value has been comparatively large. In this table the production of arsenic as arsenical pyrites is additional tu the production as white arsenic.. Production of Arsenic in the United Kingdom. Aysauteal Piywtws: White Arsenic, crude and refined. Year. Quantity | Quantity long tons male long tons aloe (2,240 Ibs.) (2,240 Ibs.) WY es eee | 35 29 1,695 | 16,616 1914... sais ae = _ 1,988 19,052 1915 | 421 233 2,496 32,779 1916 300 300 2,545 56,104 1917 434 2,599 2,626 146,031 IOUT ca ates to) 477 4,380 2.349 210,101 1919 ss Sis ose 75 — ee ee) — ® Mines and Quarries: General Report with Statistics. Part III. By the Chief Inspector of Mines (Annual). Summary of Progress for 191%. Geological Survey of Great Britain. Annual Statement of the Trade of the United Kingdom. 10 geo'sr | T8L'9% | 2662 | Gos'eT | g99'6 2og‘el | 0169 69c'9 | Tee'pT «| Lce'sr «| g2t'er «| gece | TYLOL *SUOISSOSSO JT 12'S ZOl‘F 968'¢ 6cF'T 8Z0'T LE8'T 80F 910'T L40'S GLO'T G8 SGP'1 Ysqlig, 0} [BIO], ‘salaqunog Go9'6s | GLOSS | «LFT'FS «=| O8O'ZT | OFO'S cg9'TT | c08‘s ggc‘g peg'zl | seat | TPEe‘TL | 890°ST USIeI0,F 04 [P40], “Sottqguno“y Ges || OG'8_ =| GOT'G =| 9T9'G =| wes’ =| Ger'e = | 868. rise «=| 9F0S §=— | OS'S =| OBGE = |:—TTY'E UsIe10,J 10410 8cr'9 S6L'T LLO' S40'% 683 = F961 SIF, B08'T 996'T Ig — oqudeyeunuesry TLE'0S | 616'6 8'L OgT'T €9 = 696'S LLG‘T 969% 689. ae = sess Tenergy i - OIL, 966.1 1¢P'G oge's = = v1 269'T 198'9 LSh'8 Behr TERED “emai LOGOL | LIL'S 696'F 63'S G9 — 18¢‘T 6F0'T 968% 169'¢ 601 _ ss aoueay “ST6T “LIGT “916T “CTBT “PIGT "S161 "SI6T “LIGI “9T6T "S161 ‘PIGT “SI6T : OL “(F) onyea “(sqmo) ArQUeNgyH ‘(aonpoid osawmop) wophury payuy ay wow sapixQ s}t pup owasiy fo squodxq x i Union of South Africa and Southern Rhodesia.* Previous to the year 1917 there had been vo production of arsenic for commercial purposes in South Africa, but the remark- able advance in the prices of arsenic compounds during the war, and the need for these in South Africa for agricultural uses, led to the recovery of arsenic as a by-product at the Stavoren tin mine in the Transvaal. During 1918 two companies engaged in roasting tin ore erected condensing chambers for the purpose of condensing arsenic, and started to produce about four tons of white arsenic per month in the August of that year. The total production in the Union of South Africa for 1918 is given as 15 tons, compared with 3 tons in 1917. The sales for 1918 are returned as 18 tons valued at £1,759. The output for 1919 was 8 short tons valued at £663. Arsenopyrite is of common occurrence in South Africa in association with tin ore, and a considerable amount of arsenic could, if necessary, be obtained as a by-product in mining and treating those ores. Arsenic compounds occur also as impurities in some gold and other ores of South Africa. The Union of South Africa consumes annually about £80,000 worth of sodium arsenite for sheep und cattle dips. The value of the total consumption of arsenic compounds ts stated to be about £100,000, and the question of making the Union independent of imports of this commodity has recently received attention. The question is a very important one in relation to the agricultural industries of the Union, as is indicated by the fact that during 1916 there were 6.936 dipping tanks in use in different parts of the Union. Rhodestu, where 640 dipping tanks were in use in 1917, has a similar problem, and an attempt was made in Southern Rhodesiit towards the end of the war to secure the recovery of white arsenic as a by-product at one of the gold mines. A production of 76 tons of arsenical ore, valued at £160, is reported for Southern Rhodesia in 1914. The Secretary for Mines in Southern Rhodesia reports as new production 114 short tons of arsenic ore valued at £7,677 in 1918. This was from the Umtali district. The greater part of the ore produced was sent to the British South African Explosives Company at Modderfontein, but towards the end of the year the output was utilized for the manufacture of cattle dip, which was found to be of good quality, and was welcomed locally on account of the difficulty of securing cattle dip from overseas. Canada. Arsenopyrite 1s found abundantly in many parts of Ontario, and some years ago there was a small output of arsenopyritic * Official Year Book of the Union of South Africa, 1910-17. Annual Report of the Government Mining Engineer Union of South Africa. Annual Report of the Secretary for Mines, Southern Rhodesia. + Annual Report on the Minera! Production of Canada. Annnal Report of the Ontario Bureav of Mines, Annual Report of the Minister of Mines, British Columbia. Annual Report of the Trade of Canada. 12 concentrate from a gold mine operated at Goldboro in Nova Scotia. During the period 1913-1919, however, the output of arsenic in Canada was obtained almost wholly from the silver- cobalt-nickel-arsenic ores of the Cobalt district, Ontario, the arsenic being recovered as a by-product in smelting works at Thorold, Deloro and Orillia. According to ‘‘ An Act to encourage the refining of metals in Ontario ’’ which was passed in 1907 and amended in 1912, a bounty of half-a-cent per pound is offered by the Ontario Govern- ment on white arsenic produced from arsenopyrite ores, but not from ores carrying smaltite or niccolite or cobaltite, the total bounty paid not to exceed $15,000 in any one year. In spite of this bounty there was no production from simple arsenopyrite ores during the period under review, and the producers in the Cobalt district, by the terms of the Act, were not entitled to the bounty. Arsenical gold concentrates have been sent for some years past to Tacoma in the State of Washington U.S.A. from the Hedley gold mine in the Similkarneen district of British Columbia, but it was not until 1917 that an arsenic recovery plant was installed. During the last four months of 1917, and since that date, pay- ment has been made for arsenic in these concentrates. Production of White Arsenic in Canada. Short tons Value (2,000 lbs.) $ TOTS as ae ani 1,692 101,463 1914... a wi 1,737 104,015 1915... st its 2,396 147,830 1916... see avn 2,186 262,340 1917... ais cis 2,936* 669,431 1918... cise i 3,560t 563,639 TTD: a ded bie 3,192 508,770 (*) Including 280 tons of arsenic in concentrates. (+) Including 1,078 tons of arsenic in concentrates. (£) Including 530 tons of arsenic in concentrates. Imports of Arseniate, Bi-Arseniate and Stannate of Soda into Canada. Value. Pounds. $ 1913... ian av 22,892 987 1914... any .. 14,889 604 1915... ion Lee 9,090 503 1916... le “e 15,779 1,228 1917_—... os ah 4,469 588 1918... 5 ae 121 34 1919... wa sins 13 Imports of Arsenious Oxide and Sulphide of Arsenic into Canada. Arsenious oxide.* | Sulphide of arsenic.* Total Co sees pee ee | Value ($). Ibs. Value ($). Ibs. Value (3). | 1913... ae | 18,788 1,061 | 455,394 | 17,759 | 18,820 19d ise | OL 249 | 11494 ° 736 1,005 HONS: wc cae A 6h7 | 171,993 ° 5415 6.072 1916... sae wis 41,090 7,086 239,991 11,839 18,925 1917... .. | 247,610 | 391083 | 259848 22023 | 54,136 1918... sie sie gd 222 301,985 33,351 33,673 We tg es | | | * Duty free. Haeports of White Arsenic from Canada. Short tons Value (2,000 Ibs.) 3 1913... om wae 1,303 107,094 1914 aie oe ain LST6 182.567 1915... ro se 2318 174,190 1916... es a 1,975 197,458 1917... ms ss 4.286 SOT SOS 19S xa ote ad 2072 393,883 1919 Imports of Arsentous Oxide to Canada for Fiscal Years ending March 81. Quantity (Ibs.). From 1 1913. | 1914. 1915. | 1916. | 1917. | 1918. 1919. | Onited Kingdom 7,808 | 15,370 ; 1,289 — _— 200 | - United States ... | 7,115 | 3,693 | 3,944 | 13,737 | 46,429 | 241,988 Total —...._ | 14,923 | 19,063 | 5,233 | 13,737 | 46,429 | 242,188 Value (&). From - 1913. | 1914. | 1915. | 1916. | 1917. | 1918. 1919. | : | : United Kingdom { 233 { 785 47 5 — 5d United States... 5 330) ' 270 | 2ly | 642 779% | 31,329 Total ... | 563 | 1,064] 268 | 642 wave | 31,384 | i4 ZET‘0Z] G8e'LT] e9¢‘OT| 898 | PE9'8 | TO9'9z 8Z9'G6I | SEh'62S | FIL'OSE | T88‘TI) T¢8'69s ise'sas | OR STE le GET ‘0a}-G8e'LT| Gos‘OT| 898 | FLB‘L | Ges'Ts gzo'cer | gep‘eae | arr‘ete | 188'T1] g29'9P% | Goz‘arp | “** (seta}UNOD UBrer0g) [eROJ, BE1'03) G8s'LT| Gos‘oT|c2z¢ jer | LOL‘6T 829'C61 | SEF'6ZS |ZIF‘GTE | T8G'9 |6T8'L |O8GOT | “7 Segtag Pesta) — | — | — {66 |168 |890'2 i= = — |o0s'g joszt |ae%ice J kueurie) a a —_ ns 0F9'9 as ey ema = pear GEE'S ar wae sae eee eae wINnIs[eg, — | — | 84 | — j09L | 992'r = — |sog't — ees j999‘6or | 7 wopsury peyay “GIGL | “STGL | “LIGI | “9TGT | “GIGI | PIGL | “E161 |GIGT | “ST6T | “LT6L | “9T6T |‘e16T | “FIGL | “ST6T “() onzer “(sqq) ApyueNd wor buipua spa X ywostg 1of ppounp 97 omassy fo aprydyng fo sjsodwy “TE Yol0 15 India.* The quantity of arsenic ore produced in India is insignificant, and the country depends chiefly on foreign sources to satisfy its internal demands. The clnef indigenous source of supply is the orpiment mines of Chitral, but the output from them has fallen off considerably during late years. Orpiment and realgar also occur in scattered fragments on the moraines of the Shankalpa glacier in Kumaun, where they are collected for sale in the local bazaars. Arsenical pyrites is found associated with wolfram and cassiterite in the veins of certain mines in the Mereui district of Tower Burma. Large lumps of leucopyrite, an arsenide of iron, occur in the mica-bearing pegmatites of the Hazaribagh district, and other arsenides have been obtained from pyritic lodes in various localities, but no attempt has vet been made to recover arsenic from them. The most important source of supply as regards India is the Chinese province of Yunnan, whence large quantities are im- ported into Burma by the Bhamo—Téng-yiie route. The mineral is used mainly as a pigment in the production of the green and gold colours of the Pagan lacquer work, and in the manufacture of other Indian lac-wares. Small quantities of arsenical compounds of Indian origin are exported, mainly to the Straits Settlements. Imports of Arsente and its Oxides to India for fiscal years ending March 81. United Total Total Foreign Kingdom. [British Empire.| Countries. Datel Year. Quantity) Value Quantity. Value [Quantity] Value |Quantity; Value (owts.) | (£) | (ewts.) | (£) | (cwts.) | (£) | (ewts.) | (£) [ 1912-1913... | 197 | 226 | 1,041 | 1,253 828 /1,009 | 1,869 | 2,262 1913-1914... 31. | 270 | 1088 |1'361 | 1,852 |2’638 , 2'940 | 3999 1914-1915...’ 174) 181 | ’877 | "993 | 11196 11270 | 21073 |2'195 1915-1916... 332, 499) 1,750 |2,065) '346 | 305 | 2:096 |2'370 1916-1917... 1,088 |3,722 | 2'311 | 5.448 80} 114 2391 |5'562 1917-1918... 313 {11380 | “444 1670 10} 13 | 454 1/683 1918-1919... | * Annual Reports on the Mineral Production of India ; Records of the Geologi- cal Survey of India. Annual Statement of the Sea-borne trade of British India. 16 Exports of Arsenic (Indian Merchandise) from India for fiscal years ending March 31. Total Total British Empire. | Foreign Countries. Pata, Year. Quantity.| Value. | Quantity.| Value. | Quantity.| Value. (cwts.) (£.) (cwts.) (£.) | (ewts.) (£.) 1912-1913 a 202 328 7 10 209 338 1913-1914 i 86 163 — — 86 163 1914-1915 eis 139 283 — — 139 283 1915-1916 as 117 219 _— 117 219 1916-1917 °.. 55 134 8 16 63 150 1917-1918 aes — _ — — _ _— 1918-1919 one Exports of Arsenic and its Oxides (Foreign Merchandise) from India for fiscal years ending March 81. Total Total British Empire. | Foreign Countries. Toll: Year. Quantity.) Value. | Quantity.; Value. | Quantity.) Value. (cwts.) (£.) (cwts.) (£.) (cwts.) (£.) 1912-1913 fi 25 38 8 8 33 46 1913-1914 ont 39 88 14 30 53 118 1914-1915 aes 4 9 18 24 22 33 1915-1916 a 3 6 _— _—. 3 6 1916 -1917 eee 38 106 29 77 67 183 1917-1918 via 2 7 4 11 6 18 1918-1919 ae | | During the latter part of the war period, active prospecting for arsenic minerals took place in various parts of Australia, with productive results in Queensland and Western Australia. Arsenic compounds are used in Australia to destroy the prickly pear (see p- 5), jand it,was the need of supplies for this purpose that stimulated prospecting. The Queensland Government in 1917 reserved an area of 150 acres at Jibbinbar, in the Stanthorpe district, for the purpose of prospecting for arsenic. The Beecroft mine near Sundown in this district, produced 32 tons of arsenical pyrites valued at £580 Australia. * Annual Report of the Under Secretary for Mines, Queensland. Annual Report of the Department of Mines, Western Australia, 17 during 1917. Prospecting continued actively during 1918, and a production of 199 tons of arsenical pyrites, valued at £2,981, was obtained in that year in the Stanthorpe district chiefly from the Beecroft mine. At this mine the ore is screened and jigged, and the concentrates, which are estimated to contain 30 per cent. of arsenic, ure sent to Bendigo, Victoria. A considerable amount of development took place in the State mine at Jibbinbar, and the erection of a concentrating and furnace plant with necessary buildings and other equipment was commenced. The Queensland arsenic output for 1919 is reported to be 58 tons. The Mines Department of Western .\ustralia reports the production in that State of 11 tons of arsenical ore valued at £19 in 1916, 57 tons valued at £707 in 1917, and 697 tons valued at £2,564 in 1918. Arsenopyrite is reported to be widely distributed in Victoria, and at Ballarat white arsenic is obtained from the flues of roasting furnaces. The arsenic output of Victoria during 1919 is reported to be 1,025 tons. In June, 1918, the maximum price of white arsenic for purchase by wholesalers in Australia was fixed at £60 per ton in containers exceeding 1 ewt., and £63 per ten in containers of 1 cwt. or less. For buyers other than wholesalers the rates were fixed at £66 and £69 68. respectively, with 20 per cent. increase for packages con- taining less than 56 Ibs. These rates apply to metropolitan areas. For other areas cost of transport is added. FOREIGN COUNTRIES.* The chief producer of arsenic among foreign countries is the United States of \merica where large amounts of white arsenic are obtained as a by-product at numerous smelting works in the Western States, remote from the Eastern ntarkets where it is mostly consumed, and therefore liable to severe competition with imported arsenic. The production in the U.S.A. has increased by substantial annual increments from 2,513 short tons, valued at $159,236, in 1913 to 11,323 short tons, valued at 52,112,550, in 1918. In addi- tion to this output of white arsenic in 1918 there was produced 3,487 pounds of metallic arsenic, valued at $2,610. The U.S.A. imports of arsenic and its compounds for 1918 included 1,847 short tons of white arsenic, valued at $441,212; 4,842 short tons of arsenic and orpiment, valued at $840,600 ; and a quantity of sheep-dip valued at $23,538. The exports for that year were of arsenic and orpiment of foreign origin, amounting to 80,050 pounds, valued at $12,017. The Food Administration Department of the U.S.A. made a detailed canvass in 1917 of the requirements of the different trades using arsenic compounds, and found that the demand, which was chiefly in connection with agriculture, was greatly in * Mineral Industry (Annual). Mineral Resources of the United States; U.S, Geol. Survey (Annual), 18 excess of the supply. It was estimated that the U.S.A require- ments amounted to 12,000 short tons annually, whereas the avail- able supply in 1917 amounted to only 9,787 tons. The remarkable increase in the U.S.A. production during 1918, as compared with 1917, and its close approximation to the country’s requirements as ascertained by the Food Administrative Department, is a notable feature, and is presumably attributable to the co-operation of that Department with the Departments responsible for the control of mineral production Among other foreign producers France has figured prominently as a producer of arsenical ore, but no details are available as to the amount of white arsenic produced as a by-product from the French arsenical ores. There is a substantial output of arsenic in Mexico, where white arsenic is produced at Mapimi. 19 REFERENCES TO TECHNICAL LITERATURE, Arsenic, by A. Butts, Man. Ind., 1913-1918. ( Annual.) Arsenic, antimony, and bismuth, by F. L. Hess; U.S. Geol. Surv., Min. Res. U.8. (Annual.) The cobalt-nickel arsenides and silver deposits of Temiskaming, by W. G. Miller; Rept. Bur. Mines, Ontario, 1913, 19, Part 2, 278 pp. Ore deposits of Hu-nan and Hu-peh, by W. R. Schoeller; Journ. Soc. Chem. Ind., 1913, 32, 517-519. Determination of gases in smelter flues, and notes on the determination of dust losses at the Washoe Reduction Works, Anaconda, Mont., by KE. M. Dunn; Trans. Amer. Inst. Min. Eng., 1914, 46, 687-688. Arsenic trioxide from flue dust, by J. O. Elton; Trans. Amer. Inst. Min. Eng., 1914, 46, 690-702. Method of mixing bismuth and arsenic, by W. Heike; Internat. Zeit. Met., 1914, 6, 209. Abstr. in Journ. Inst. Metals, 1914, 12, 284. Alloys of gold and arsenic, by A. P. Schleicher; Internat. Zeit. Met., 1914, 6, 18. Abstr. in Journ. Inst. Metals, 1914, 11, 299. Temiskamite, a new nickel arsenide from Ontario, hy T. L. Walker; Amer. Journ. Sci., 1914, 37, 170-172. Solidification of silver-arsenic alloys, by W. Heike and A. Leroux; Zeits. anorg. Chem., 1915, 92, 119-126. Abstr. in Journ. Soc. Chem. Ind., 1916, 35, 693. Arsenic applied as a spray for weeds, by W. T. McGeorge; Journ. Agric. Research, 1915, 5, 459-463. Abstr. in Journ. Sov. Chem. Ind., 1916, 35, 195. Use of metallic arsenic, by F. Johnson; Met. Ind., 1916, 9, 462-463. Influence of arsenic on copper, by F, Johnson; Met. Ind., 1916, 9, 648-652. Queensland mineral deposits, No. 10: Arsenie, by B. Dunstan; Queens. land Govt. Min. Journ., 1917, 18, 176-180. Arsenical deposits in Queensland, by H. I. Jensen: Queensland (ovt. Min. Journ,, 1917, 18, 582-583. The influence of arsenic in brass, by O. Smalley; Journ. Soc. Chem. Ind., 1917, 36, 429-439. The Talisker mine, hy L. J. Winton; Rev. Min. Oper. S. Austr., No. 26, 1917, 91-93, The condition of arsenic in glass and its réle in glass making, by E. T. Allen and E. G. Zies; Journ. Amer. Ceramic Soc., 1918, 1, 787. Abstr. Journ, Soc. Glass Technology, 1919, 8, 15. Arsenic in ferro-alloys, by O. Binder; Chemiker Zeitung, 1918, 42, 619. Abstr. in Journ. Inst. Metals, 1919, 21, 463. Arsenic, cattle and sheep dips, sprays, etc.. by C. R. Edmonds; Rhodesia Munitions and Resources Committee Report. 1918, 58-60. Arsenic deposits of Jibhinbar, Queensland, by H. T. Jensen; Queensland Govt. Min. Journ., 1918, 19, 120-123. Arsenic and its occurrences in South Queensland, by H. I. Jensen; Queensland Govt. Min. Journ., 1918, 19, 455-458, 503-508. The effect of arsenic, antimony, and lead on 88:10:2 gun-metal, by R. T. Rolfe; Journ, Inst. Metals, 1918, 20, 263-282. Inorganic chemical industries: arsenica] compounds, by M. Rind]; Ss. Air. Journ. Ind., 1918, 1, 1402. : Precipitation of arsenic soot in the roasting of tin ores; Mining Mag., 1918, 18, 214. Der Balkan als neue Rohstoffquelle der Metallindustrie Deutschlands; Arsen- Antimon- Wismut- und andere nutzbare Erzlagerstitten, von H. E. Kepler; Metall und Erz, 1919, 16, 512-515. ; Arsenic and antimony ores, by H. Dewey; Mem. Geol. Surv., Special Repts. on the Mineral Resources of Great Britain, Vol. 15, London, 1920, 59 pp. a ee ee ee ee ee eee! ee ee