Alfred Nobel

“ Instead of the nitrate of soda, either of the nitrates of potash, baryta, or lead may be employed, and, instead of resin, other carbons and hydrocarbons, as coal, sugar, starch, wood, charcoal, &c., may be used. If coal is employed, such as contains the greatest proportion of hydrogen answers the best for this purpose.
It should be observed that the amount of nitro-glycerine which can be retained by the other ingredients will depend upon the degree of fineness to which they are pulverized, and will vary with the ingredients used, and also with the temperature of the atmosphere ”

“ To effect the explosion of this compound a tube or cap containing fulminate of mercury or other suitable detonating substance, and affixed to the end of a fuse, is inserted in the charge of the above-described compound, the fuse being fired in the usual way, or, if preferred, the cap inserted in the compound may be fired by electricity without a fuse. ”