Chemical Examination of Burmese Naphtha, or Rangoon Tar. 515 



obtained by means of strong nitric acid are fluids at the lower end of 

 the series, whilst with hydrocarbons boiling above 200° C. (392° F.) 

 they are of a resinous consistence ; they frequently retain with obsti- 

 nacy a portion of the not-acted-upon hydrocarbons, and more espe- 

 cially if the experiment be conducted upon a small scale ; nitro- 

 compounds are sometimes obtained which float upon water, in con- 

 sequence of this retention of the lighter hydrocarbons. 



In submitting the hydrocarbons to the action of the acids, we have 

 invariably selected fluids which from their boiling-points appeared to 

 be within certain limits homogeneous ; but notwithstanding every pos- 

 sible care in this selection, we have always obtained more than one 

 sulpho-acid and more than one nitro-compouud, as the case might be, 

 and we have experienced very considerable difficulties in the separa- 

 tion of the mixed products. In the case of nitro-compounds, advan- 

 tage has sometimes been taken of their convertibility by a mixture 

 of sulphuric and nitric acids into di- and tri-nitro-compounds, which 

 admitted of fractional crystallization from various media. We have 

 been thus enabled to isolate the following compounds, the analysis and 

 properties of which place their existence beyond doubt, namely, — 



Nitrobenzole, 

 Dinitrotoluole, 

 Trinitroxylole, 

 Sulphocumolate of barium ; 



and therefore it is evident that the Burmese naphtha products contain 

 the corresponding hydrocarbons, namely, — 



Benzole Cjg Hg 



Toluole Ci4 Hg 



Xylole Ci6 Hio 



Cumole Cjg Hj, 



But we have found that the foregoing are by no means the only 

 hydrocarbons separated by sulphuric acid and nitric acid, and we 

 hope to establish the existence of other series containing terms iso- 

 meric with, but differing in properties from, benzole and its homo- 

 logues ; we have, moreover, good reason to suspect the presence of 

 other compounds even less linked with the benzole series. 



Action of Reducing Agents on the Nitro-compounds. 

 In order to throw further light on the constitution of the hydro- 

 carbons in Burmese naphtha, removeable by the before-named acids, 

 we have submitted the several nitro-compounds to the action of 

 reducing agents . As was to be expected, our nitrobenzole yielded an 

 abundant supply of aniline when distilled with acetic acid and iron 

 turnings, thus confirming the existence of benzole beyond all possible 

 doubt. In a similar manner the presence of toluole was further esta- 

 blished by the preparation of nitrotoluole and toluidine. Bcchamp's 

 method was, however, not equally applicable in all cases, so that 

 Zinin's original sulphide of ammonium process was resorted to ; by 

 its means we liave obtained several new bases, and among them one 

 crystallizing beautifully in long needles, having the appearance and 



