Show quicksilver FOR SIX MONTHS the production of quicksilver in the united states during the first half of 1918 was flasks flacks according to IF L ran some of the united states geological sur vey department of the interior the total production in 1917 was flasks flacks and as one half of this is flasks flacks the quantity thus far produced this year falls short by flasks flacks of that which should have been produced if the output this year is to equal that of last As quicksilver if not absolutely essential to the conduct of war is a metal for which it would be exceedingly difficult to find satisfactory substitutes in all of its uses and as an output of flasks flacks would it is estimated be barely enough to meet the demands in this country in 1918 the shortage indicated by the returns for the first half of the year calls for energetic efforts by the producers the consumers and the government to increase the supply of the metal and to curtail less essential uses with the enlargement of our army the demand for quicksilver is likely to be considerably sider ably greater in 1919 than in 1918 and the perfection of satisfactory detonators for high explosives v es that shall contain little or no mercury is one of the urgent problems of chemistry as applied to war the decline in production during the first half of 1918 was due chiefly to the shortage and the increased cost of labor and to the exhaustion or depletion of known ore bodies under the stimulus of high prices for the metal the practice at some of the larger mines has been to devote nearly all energy to getting out ore and to postpone the underground exploration and development that are necessary to insure long continued steady production in the language of the miners some of the mines have been gutted and considerable time will be needed to restore them to a condition of high productivity on the other hand the high price w ee of quicksilver has not led as extensively as had been hoped to the reopening of old mines long idle although there are some notable examples of this result and during the second half of the year these reopened mines may make good the shortage quicksilver mining is full of uncertainties and capitalists are slow to invest extensively in an undertaking whose future can be so little foreseen there is opportunity here for patriotism to cast the deciding vote where the cold doctrine of chances might turn the investor to industries offering greater assurance of reward one of the notable achievements in n the industry during the year has been the successful adaptation of the rotary cement kiln to quicksilver metallurgy eight of these furnaces are now or will soon be in operation in california and they are expected to make an increase in production that may more than offset the falling failing off during the first half of the year V |