126 Dr Grecory on the Composition of 
turpentine of the great pine-forests, to which our coal-beds owe 
their origin, having been separated by a gentle heat, either before 
the conversion of the wood into coal, or from the coal itself, as in 
his own experiments. It does not appear distinctly what native 
naphtha Dr ReicuenBacn examined ; but, from several passages, 
it would seem to have been that of Amiano. 
On reading the last mentioned memoir of RetcnEnsacn, it 
seemed obvious that the character given by him of this naphtha 
was very different from that of Persian naphtha, or from that of 
the naphtha which may be obtained from the petroleum of Ran- 
goon by distillation ; and when, in addition to this, we consider 
the existence of paraffine in the latter, it is impossible not to in- 
fer, that, if Dr RercuenBacn’s experiments be correct, or rather 
if his naphtha were genuine, there must exist, at least, two very 
different kinds of naphtha. I resolved, therefore, to subject the 
Rangoon oil to a new examination, in order to ascertain whether 
or not it contained eupione. Dr Curisrison having kindly sup- 
plied me with a considerable quantity, I proceeded to rectify it, 
in the first instance ; and I very soon obtained a liquid, possessed, 
in a very considerable degree, of the properties of eupione, parti- 
cularly its mobility, low sp. gr., and odour like that of narcissus. 
This rectified naphtha, although far from pure, has a sp. gr. of 
only .765, and boils at 200° F. I then subjected it to the action 
of oil of vitriol, and of a concentrated solution of potash, several 
times alternately, and also, as recommended by ReicuENnsacn, 
to distillation with strong sulphuric acid and nitre. It resisted 
all these agents, for the most part, and, when finally rectified, 
assumed the appearance of the specimen No. 2., the sp. gr. of 
which is .744, which boils at 180° F., and which possesses, in a 
more marked degree than before, the peculiar odour of eupione. 
This odour, I may add, is exactly that of some impure eupione, 
which I extracted from coal-tar naphtha, and from the liquid 
produced by distilling caoutcheuc. The smallness of the quan- 
