Manchester Memoirs, Vol. xlvzi. {igo2), No. 'ni. 17 



What the nature of the reaction is has not yet been 

 determined, but the residue in the baryta water bottle 

 on October i6th, consisting of a Httle liquid and the 

 paraffin shavings, was examined in the following way : 

 the liquid was poured off, filtered into a platinum 

 basin, and evaporated to dryness on the water bath. The 

 residue was ignited but did not char. The paraffin 

 shavings remaining in the bottle were washed repeatedly 

 by decantation, transferred to a platinum basin, and 

 heated till all water was expelled. The remaining 

 paraffin was then burned off and a small amount of a white 

 residue remained, in which barium was easily detected. 

 These results indicate that no soluble compound derived 

 from the paraffin is formed, but that the barium unites 

 with the paraffin in some way yielding a compound 



insoluble in water. 



Table F. 



Action of Alkaline Solutions on Paraffin Shavings. 



* Before adding parafifiii. 



+ After adding parafifin. 



