A manual of pyrotechny

The manual explains the principles and history of pyrotechnics, traces early use to Chinese practice, and then gives detailed, practical instructions for making and handling gunpowder and related materials (nitre, sulphur, charcoal, iron filings, resins), apparatus and grinding/mixing methods, and a wide range of firework types: serpents, crackers, stars, maroons, gerbes, Roman candles, rockets, wheels, fountains and compound displays. It includes tables of compositions and dimensions, construction and firing techniques, economy and safety advice, and designs for private illuminations and mechanical effects intended for instructing amateurs rather than professional manufacturers.