NITROGEN BODIES OF MODERN CHEMISTRY. 213 



Those are bodies less explosive, certainly, than guu-cotton, but which 

 belong to the same class, carbo-hydrogeus, in which the hydrogen is re- 

 placed by nitryl. 



There are still other and very different nitrogen comi^ounds, and, in- 

 deed, the first known, the oldest, belongs to a different chapter. This 

 compound comes from i)henyl acid, a radical which in many respects 

 excites the interest of chemists. The main sonrce of phenyl is benzol, 



""Ce 'Uo, or 



Fig. IG. 



C^^^OOCCCQCCCOOOO 



ooocccocococcoo 



Pare benzol is a colorless liquid, somewhat refractive, as evaporable 

 as ether, of penetrating odor, but not unpleasant when much diluted. 

 It is the well-known scouring drops. This most volatile of the coal-oils, 

 called, eupion, is an exceedingly mobile and refractive medium, possess- 

 ing the property of dissolving all oily substances without aliecting any 

 color or injuring any material; it can therefore be used to extract spots 

 of grease and oil from all fabrics, even from the most delicate rose- 

 colored silk. Spots from acids, fruits, or lye are not removed by it. 

 It produces no effect whatever on discolored spots; it can merely 

 remove the grease and with that the dust; for every spot of grease on 

 a garment is naturally a place on which the dust floating in the air 

 is deposited. This benzine or benzol is, in a scientific view, phenyl- 

 hydrogen. 



By replacing the hydrogen with hydroxyl, HO, we obtain from ben- 

 zine carbolic acid, or phenyl acid, which in a pure state forms colorless 

 crystals, but, however carefully protected from the air, it changes grad- 

 ually to dull red, and finally to brown. Carbolic or phenyl acid is 

 found in coal-tar, and is obtained from it in the form of carbolate of 

 lime. The carbolate of natron, prepared by preci[)itating this salt of 

 lime by means of a natron lye, is of inestimable value to the physicians 

 as a means of obviating the fatal etiects of hospital gangrene, of cleans- 

 ing wounds, and exciting healthy action which has been suspended. 



By substituting for one atom of the hydrogen in benzine — not hydroxyl, 

 but nitryl — we obtain a new substance, nitrobenzol, mirbanol, and this 

 brings us to ordinary perfumery. Thus, from the benzol of coal-tar is 

 produced the artificial oil of bitter almonds, employed as a perfume in 

 common pomades, in many cleaning mixtures, and substances contain- 

 ing strongly-scented mineral matter, and in common soaps. This mir- 

 banol is obtained by mixing carefully, drop by drop, at a low tempera-' 

 ture, benzol and nitric acid. It would be unsafe to mix at once the 

 whole mass of benzol and nitric acid, since it would produce intense 

 heat and lead to explosion. In mingling benzol and red fuming nitric 

 acid there is need of the greatest foresight, carefulness, and subdivision 

 of the process. In spite of refrigeration, the benzol dissolving in the 



