MABERY AND KITTELBERGER. — S. A. PETROLEUM. 189 



removed more of the iiitro conipouiid from the oil. The oil shaken with 

 sodic hydrate imparted a yellow color to the alkaliue solution; it was 

 then redistilled for analysis : — 



0.1590 gram of the oil gave 0.4964 gram CO2, and 0.2037 gram HgO. 



A determination of the specific gravity of the oil after treatment with 

 acids save 0.8484, the same value as was obtained for the crude distillate. 

 It is therefore evident that this petroleum consists mainly of a single series 

 of hydrocarbons, with a mere trace of aromatic hydrocarbons C„H2„_6. 

 What this series is does not appear from these results, at least so far as 

 its relation to the series of hydrocarbons hitherto discovered in petroleum. 

 In the proportions of carbon and hydrogen, the series C^Hon is indicated. 

 Neither the crude oil nor any of these distillates deposit paraffine, even at 

 low temperatures. The higher distillates are thick and viscous, light 

 yellow in color, and unquestionably are uudecomposed constituents of the 

 crude oil. 



With nitric and sulphuric acids the constituents described in this paper 

 are as slightly affected as are the naphtenes in the Russian oil. This fact, 

 together with the results of analysis corresponding to the series C^Hj^.g, 

 and the high specific gravity, point to a similar composition for these 

 bodies, and the small proportion of the crude oil distilling below 220° 

 seems, therefore, to be composed almost exclusively of naphtenes, which 

 is the first instance of an American petroleum having been found contain- 

 ing these hydrocarbons in any considerable quantity. The higher distil- 

 lates from this petroleum will receive further attention in connection with 

 the corresponding portions of other American oils. 



Having at hand a specimen of petroleum from Oregon, resembling the 

 heavier California products, with a specific gravity nearly the same as 

 that of the South American oil described above, it seemed- of sufficient 

 interest to submit it to an examination in connection with that of the 

 South American oil. The crude oil was very thick and dark, with a 

 specific gravity, 0.9597 at 20°. Like the California oils, as shown by 

 Peckham, it contains a large percentage of nitrogen compounds; A 

 Kjeldahl determination gave 0.868 per cent of nitrogen. This is also a 

 high sulphur oil, as shown by a combustion which gave 1.19 per cent of 

 sulphur. It is also a high carbon oil ; a combustion gave 8G.06 per cent 

 of carbon, and 11.87 per cent of hydrogen. A very small proportion 



