Lixiviation

LIXIVIATION is equivalent to leaching and is the process of removing a soluble substance from one that is insoluble in the solvent employed. Potash was originally obtained by the lixivia tion of wood ashes. In the crude industry the ashes were simply stirred with successive lots of water, allowed to settle and the solution decanted. In modern industry lixiviation is carried on in vessels which permit either batch treatment or continuous lixiviation. A typical example is percolation in the pharmaceutical industry, where liquid is permitted to pass slowly through a mass from which it dissolves out the active principles desired.

LI

(1864-1928), President of the Chinese Republic, was born in the province of Hupeh, and educated at the Pei-yang naval college at Tientsin. He served in a cruiser during the war with Japan, and later was in charge of fortifications at Nanking. He accompanied the Viceroy Chang Chih-tung to Wuchang, and twice visited Japan to study her educational system and army organisation. In 1911 he had risen to the rank of

Divisional Commander and was among the first military officials to realise the force of the revolutionary movement. In conse quence he was empowered to negotiate peace at Shanghai, and upon the foundation of the Republic became its first vice-presi dent. Upon the death of Yuan Shi-kai he succeeded as presi dent and held office until the temporary restoration of the boy Emperor in July, 1917, when he resigned, remaining for the next five years in Tientsin. In 1922 he was prevailed upon to resume the presidency, but in September of the following year he was compelled to resign in favour of Tsao Kun. Li Yuan-hung at an early date opposed "Tuchunism," i.e., the system of military governorships, and advocated divesting the tuchuns of adminis trative duties; he worked for the reunification of the country by negotiation instead of by force, but in this he was unsuccess ful and he died in retirement in Tientsin on June 5, 1928.