524 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY. 



alcohol under ordinary pressures. The method of heating dispenses 

 entirely with the necessity of passing air through the liquid in vacuum 

 distillations, and heavy viscous liquids may be advantageously dis- 

 tilled in this way. By combining this method of heating with the 

 Hempel, Wurtz, Linnemann, or other fractionating towers, great effi- 

 ciency may be expected. However, where the amount of material is 

 small, the towers cannot be advantageously used, because of the loss 

 of material required to wet the considerable area of their condensing 

 surfaces ; and it is very convenient to have at hand an economical 

 method fully as efficient as the ordinary method where the tower is 

 used. 



The method may also find successful application in the distillation 

 of inflammable liquids, and may therefore be of some industrial impor- 

 tance where power may be obtained cheaply. Moreover, low boiling 

 liquids, ordinarily requiring special precautions, can be distilled as 

 expeditiously as those of high boiling point, since superheating is 

 impossible. 



In brief, this article describes experiments showing the great gain 

 in the efficiency of separation obtainable by the use of electricity as a 

 source of heat in fractional distillation. An advantageous form of 

 apparatus for this purpose is described. 



The Chemical Labokatort of Habvakd College. 



