1858.] on Mineral Candles, S^c. 607 



recourse is had to a second or third distillation, the products of 

 which are classified according to their boiling points or their specific 

 gravities, which range from * 627 to • 860, the lightest coming over 

 first. It is worthy of notice, that though all these volatile liquids 

 were distilled from the original material with steam of the tempera- 

 ture of boiling water, their boiling points range from 80° Fahr. 

 to upwards of 400® Fahr. 



These liquids are all colourless, and do not solidify at any 

 temperature, however low, to which they have been exposed.* 

 They are useful for many purposes. All are solvents of caoutchouc. 

 The vapour of the more volatile. Dr. Snow has found to be highly 

 anaesthetic. Those of the lower specific gravity, called in commerce 

 Sherwoodolcy have great detergent power, readily removing oily 

 stains from silk, without impairing even delicate colours. The 

 distillates of higher specific gravity are proposed to be used as 

 lamp-fuel ; they burn with a brilliant white flame ; and, as they 

 cannot be ignited without a wick, even when heated to the 

 temperature of boiling water, they are safe for domestic use. 



A small per-centage of hydro-carbons, of the benzole series, 

 comes over with the distillates in this first operation. Messrs. 

 De la Rue and Miiller have shown that it may be advantageously 

 eliminated by nitric acid. The resulting substances, nitro-benzole, 

 &c., are commercially valuable in perfumery, &c. 



After steam of 212° has been used in the distillation just 

 described, there is left a residue, amounting to about three-fourths 

 of the original material. It is fused, and purified from extraneous 

 ingredients (which Warren De la Eue and H. Miiller have found 

 to consist partly of the colophene series) by sulphuric acid. The 

 foreign substances are thus thrown down as a black precipitate, 

 from which the supernatant liquor is decanted. The black pre- 

 cipitate, when freed from acid by copious washing, has all the 

 characteristic properties of native asphaltum. The fluid is then 

 transferred to a still, and, by means of a current of steam made to 

 pass through heated iron tubes, is distilled at any required tem- 

 perature. The distillates obtained by this process are classed 

 according to their distilling-points, ranging from 300*^ to 600° Fahr. 

 The distillations obtained, at 430^ Fahr. and upwards, contain a 

 solid substance, resembling in colour and in many physical and 

 chemical properties, the paraffine of Reichenbach; like it it is 

 electric, and its chemical affinity is very feeble : but there are 

 reasons for believing that a difference exists in the atomic consti- 

 tution of the two substances. The commercial name of Belmontine 

 is proposed for the solid derived from the Burmese naphtha. Candles 

 manufactured from this material possess great illuminating power. 

 It is stated that a Belmontine candle, weighing Jth lb., will give as 



* The freezing mixture of solid carbonic acid and ether does not afTect the 

 fluidity of these bodies. 



