50 REPORT — 1856. 



mass resembling bleached wax. The former melted at 114" Fahr., the latter at 126°. 

 That obtained from Rangoon petroleum melted at 142°, and from peat at 116°. All 

 these varieties gave on analysis the same results, the numbers obtained being — 



Coal. 



These analyses lead to the conclusion that all varieties of paraffine are not carbo- 

 hydrogens of the CnHn series, as is commonly supposed, but lend support to Lewy's 

 view, according to which some of them belong to the CnHn + 2 series. This is rendered 

 obvious by the comparison of the mean analytical result with the calculation for the 

 former serie.s and for the formula C^qH^j, which comes very close to the analytical 

 results. 



Espt. Calculation. 



r '^ ^ 



CH C40H42 



Carbon 85-10 85-71 85-10 



Hydrogen 15-23 14-29 14-90 



100-33 lOMO 100-00 



The latter formula is a purely empirical one, and is simply the nearest approach to 

 the experimental numbers, which, however, mi,":lit be equally well expressed by ^^■^\i, 

 or even C^^H^,. The author has tried in vaia to obtain some means of determining 

 the rational formulce of the different paraffines, but without success. They are all 

 acted upon by chlorine with the formation of turpentine-like substitution compounds, 

 in which the proportion of chlorine differs. 



The author leaves it an open question whether these paraffines are radicals or the 

 hydrurets of radicals, his object being to show that the term paraffine has a very wide 

 acceptation, embracing not only the cerotene and melene obtained from wax, which 

 belong to the CnHn series, but also a great variety of other compounds. 



On a new combination of Carbon, Oxygen and Hydrogen, fanned by the 

 Oxidation of Graphite ; and on the Appearance of Carbon under the Mi- 

 croscope. By Professor Brodie, F.R.S. 



On the Incrustations of Blast Furnaces. 

 By Professor F. Grace Calvert, F.C.S. 

 During a journey which I made twelve months .igo in Shropshire, in which I visited 

 certain iron-works, my attention was drawn to large incrustations which gradually 

 formed at the month of blast furnaces, and which had acquired such a size as nearly 

 to shut up the mouth of the furnaces, and as they proved a great annoyance, it was 

 thought proper that they should be removed. 



To do this, the mass in the fin-nace was allowed to fall eight or ten feet from the 

 mouth of the furnace, the blast was then taken off and the incrustations removed, 

 some of which were placed in my hands for analysis, and which I found to be com- 

 posed as follows : — 



Oxide of zinc 94-33 



Peroxide of iron 2-10 



Silica 0-4,5 



Carbon 2-45 



Sulphur 0-67 



100-00 



« 



