D. CHEMISTRY AND METALLURGY. 89 



lime, in a vessel fitted with an inverted condenser, for about 

 an hour, and then distilling. If the spirit contain more than 

 five per cent, of water, it is necessary to repeat the treatment 

 with lime two or three times. After distillation the whole 

 product obtained will be anhydrous. With weak spirit not 

 more than half the space occupied with spirit must be filled 

 with lime at first, as otherwise the vessel might be broken 

 by its slaking. 21 A, Feb., 1872, 133. 



CHEMICAL INVENTIONS IN THE LONDON EXPOSITION OF 1871. 



A report has been made by Professor Abel upon the scien- 

 tific inventions and discoveries having a relation to chemis- 

 try, illustrated in the London exposition of 1871, among which 

 he mentions the colors obtained by the distillation of coal, 

 enumerating the various substances that have been discover- 

 ed in such rapid succession, so much to the advantage of 

 dyers. Taking up aniline first, he remarks that the discovery 

 of aniline violet and mauve by Perkins, in 1856, was eclipsed 

 by that of aniline red, or Magenta, which soon after became 

 the centre of a numerous series of brilliant colors. The first 

 aniline blue was obtained by Nicholson in 1862-63, and a 

 second blue, known as Nicholson, or solid blue, was obtained 

 in 1863. From naphthalin has been obtained a beautiful col- 

 or known as Magdala ; while another derivative of coal has 

 yielded the true coloring matter of madder, alizarine. Other 

 products of coal referred to by Professor Abel are carbolic 

 acid, which itself furnishes various colors, as picric acid, ro- 

 solic acid, aurine, etc. 



Other specimens presented at the exposition consisted of 

 paraftine and ozokerite, the latter being a natural mineral 

 substance, and replacing paraffine and stearine for illumina- 

 ting purposes. Lubricating oils in considerable variety were 

 also exhibited, as well as oil and paper made from cotton 

 seeds, the manipulation of which promises valuable econom- 

 ical results. Wood paper and the method of its preparation 

 were also shown, together with gun-cotton in its different 

 forms. The selenitic mortar of Colonel Scott, which has al- 

 ready been referred to in our pages, is one of many of the 

 other substances treated of in Professor Abel's communica- 

 tion. 



He remarks in reference to thallium a metal discovered 



