221 



COMMUNICATIONS RECEIVED SINCE THE END OF THE SESSION. 



By a Resolution of Council of the 26th of June, 1856, the Pre- 

 sident and Officers are henceforth authorized, at their discretion, 

 to print in the 'Proceedings' abstracts of Papers received during 

 the Recess, without waiting until such Papers shall have been read 

 to the Society. 



I. " Chemical Examination of Burmese Naphtha, or Ran- 

 goon Tar." By WARREN DE LA RUE, Fh.D., F.R.S., 

 and HUGO MULLER, Ph.D. Received August 1, 1856. 



In several localities of the kingdom of Bunnah, there emanates 

 from the soil in considerable quantity a peculiar oleaginous substance, 

 which is employed for a variety of purposes, but chiefly as a lamp- 

 fuel and as an unguent, by the natives, and exported in moderate 

 quantities under the name of Burmese naphtha, or Rangoon tar. 



It is obtained by sinking wells of about 60 feet in depth, in which 

 the liquid is collected by the miner as it oozes from the soil. 



At the common temperature this substance has the consistence of 

 goose-fat ; it is lighter than water, has usually a greenish-brown 

 colour, and possesses a slight odour, peculiar, but not disagreeable. 

 It consists almost entirely of volatile constituents. 



Burmese naphtha has already attracted the attention of other 

 chemists ; at present we refrain from entering into a discussion of 

 their results, since it is our intention to give a full history of this 

 remarkable natural product when, after the completion of our expe- 

 riments, we shall have the honour of submitting to the Royal Society 

 a detailed account of our investigation. The object of the present 

 communication is to trace a mere outline of the results at which we 

 have arrived up to this moment. 



The circumstances under which petroleum for this is the col- 

 lective term which comprehends a great variety of oily emanations 

 similar to Burmese naphtha occurs in nature, all tend to prove that 

 these substances are the products of a slow destructive distillation of 

 the residuary matter of a primeval creation : this being admitted, the 



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