25 8 . THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



troduetion of new methods of manufacture. There are no indications at 

 present that warrant any expectation that any material change is immi- 

 nent in the character of the crude oil. The change must, therefoi'e, 

 come from the introduction of different methods of manufacture. These 

 methods need be neither novel nor unreasonably expensive. Cracked 

 oils of good quality are nothing new, but I have never seen them made 

 by one distillation and one treatment. Cracked oils should be finished 

 by distillation, not treatment. A second distillation would enable the 

 refiner to first remove the two volatile products of cracking and the 

 heavy, uncracked portion of the paraffine-oil, besides destroying the sul- 

 phur compounds. But such a technology would so far increase the 

 cost of the oil that those employing it could not compete in the mar- 

 ket with those who did not, except by virtue of the superior quality 

 of their oil. 



It is in respect to this difficulty that the public weal could be well 

 served by judicious legislation that in its broadest sense might well be 

 considered sanitary legislation. It is a proper subject for physicians 

 to determine, what the precise effects upon the general health may be 

 resulting from the combustion in lamps and stoves of the vast quanti- 

 ties of inferior oils that are daily consumed throughout the country. 

 That the effect must be bad, determining a tendency to certain forms 

 of disease and aggravating others, can not fail to be apparent to the 

 most unreflecting person, especially when it is considered in how few 

 instances any means are employed to remove from the apartment in 

 which these oils are burned the products of combustion. When under 

 such circumstances a pure oil is burned into pure water and carbonic 

 acid, the atmosphere receives a sufficient burden ; but when to these 

 are added vapors of burned sulphur and a variety of irritating vapors 

 with smoke, the eyes, lungs, and nostrils pay a heavy tribute. Added 

 to this is the new source of danger from fire resulting from explosions 

 arising from imperfect combustion a source of danger not hitherto 

 recognized in legislation, but of not infrequent occurrence. 



For the reasons stated, it appears that the health and safety of the 

 public, and the protection of those manufacturers who would make a 

 radical change in the methods of manufacture now employed, alike 

 demand legislation that will exclude from the market not only oils 

 that are unsafe from excess of naphtha, but those which in their gen- 

 eral character are unhealthful to use and unsafe from other causes. 

 Such legislation should be based upon an exhaustive scientific exami- 

 nation of the subject, with a view to placing the fewest restrictions 

 upon the manufacture and sale of these oils consistent with the de- 

 mands of public health and safety. Such an investigation can best be 

 undertaken by the General Government, to be followed by such amend- 

 ments to the national legislation now in force as the results might 

 justify. Such national legislation, based upon a comprehensive knowl- 

 edge of the subject, could not fail to be followed by a general revision 



