Mmc of the Princ'iplcs of Vegetables into Bifinnen. 149 



The melted mass, when cold, is black, very brittle, and 

 breaks with a glossy fracture. 



Experiments. 



A. 100 grains of this bitumen, when distilled until the 

 bulb of the retort became red-hut, afforded, Clidius. 



1 . Water slightly acid - - - 3 



2. Thick brown oilv bitumen, very similar to that 

 which was obtained from the Bovey coal, but pos- 

 sessing slightly the odour of vegetable tar - 45 



3. Light spongy coal - - - 23 



4. Mixed gas, composed of hydrogen, carbonated 

 hydrogen, and carbonic acid, (by computation,) 29 



The coal yielded about three gvains and a half of ashes, 

 M. hich consisted of alumina, iron, and silica, with a trace 

 of lime, 



B. The bitumen was not affected by being long digested 

 in boiling distilled water. 



C. By digesting 100 grains in lixivium of pure potash, a 

 brown solution was formed ; this was saturated with mu- 

 riatic acid, and a brown resinous precipitate was obtained, 

 which weighed 21 grains. 



D. A portion was digested in nitric acid : at first much 

 nitrous gas was evolved, and, after the digestion had been 

 continued for nearly 48 hours, a part was dissolved, and 

 formed an orange-coloured solution, which did not yield 

 any precipitate when saturated by the alkalis or bv limej 

 the colour only became more deep, and, by evaporation, a 

 yellow viiicid substance was ol)tained, which was soluble in 

 water. The above nitric solution possessed every property 

 of those nitric solutions of resinous substances which I have 

 mentioned in a former paper*. 



K. The benzoic and succinic acids were notobtj^ined from 

 this substance by any of the methods usually employed. 



]''. Alcohol almost inmiediately began to act upon this 

 bitunien ; and, being added at ditlcrent times, gradi;ally 

 dissolved a considerable part of it. The solution was red- 

 dish brown, and had a resinous odour; by tlie addition of 

 water it became milky, and, by evaporation, affordeii a dark 

 brown substance which had every property of resin, wJiilst 

 the residuum l».ft by the alct)ho.l possessed those properties 

 which characterize asphaltum. 



The following analysis was then made to di^<^;<>vcr the 

 proportions of the component ingredients. 



• riill'JS'.'i'liical IViiTTinc ion. Tir \?q^, p. igt. 



K i .4ualiis.i\ 



