64 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY 



Tabular Statement of the Formulae and J3 oiling -points of the 

 Constituents of Pennsylvania Petroleum, as determined by 

 Pelouze and Cahours. 



As their results, indicated by the above table, differ so widely 

 from mine, not only in regard to boiling-points in several instances, 

 but also in the important matters of vapor density and elementary 

 constitution corresponding thereto, as will be shown further on, it 

 is impossible for me to determine with any degree of certainty 

 which of the several bodies they describe should be chosen as the 

 one whose existence in the petroleum must be questioned; for 

 my results, I trust, will show conclusively that one of their num- 

 ber must be discarded, and that consequently the formula of the 

 rejected member would naturally fall to the one next above, and 

 the formula of this in turn to the next higher, and so on, changing 

 the formulae of all the higher members of their series. Since, how- 

 ever, they have not described a greater number of bodies within 

 the range of temperature embraced by my 3d series — the € n H 2n 

 series — than were found by me, although we differ widely as to 

 their constitution; and since their boiling-points in this part of 



