NAPTH ALINE: 407 



sugar. Boiling point, 186, evaporates spontaneously ; soluble, in 

 fixed and volatile oils, and in ether and alcohol, from which it is 

 thrown down by water. 



It burns readily and brilliantly, and with much smoke ; in oxygen 

 gas its vapor rises and forms a detonating mixture. Potassium re- 

 tains its lustre in it, even when heated. By passing it in vapor 

 through an ignited tube, charcoal is deposited, and carburetted hy- 

 drogen obtained. Its analysis was performed by detonation with 

 oxygen ; and by passing it over ignited oxide of copper ; carbonic acid 

 and water were the only products, and as there is no oxygen in it, it 

 follows that it is composed of carbon and hydrogen only. It requires 

 750 measures of oxygen to burn 100 of its vapor; 600 unite with 

 600 of carbon vapor, and 150 with 300 of hydrogen, and therefore 

 its constitution is 6 equivalents of carbon, and 3 of hydrogen, and of 

 course the equivalent of the compound is 6x636 + 1x3=39. 

 The sp. gr. of its vapor is easily inferred ; for the weight of the va- 

 por of carbon -4166 X 6=2.4996, and that of hydrogen .0694 X 3 = 

 0.2082=2.7078, and this is very near to the number obtained by 

 Mr. Faraday. 



NAPHTHALINE. 



A substance to which this name has been applied, was first ob- 

 served by Mr. Garden and afterwards examined by Dr. Kidd of Ox- 

 ford Univ. * 



It is obtained from coal tar ; the naptha passes first by a very gen- 

 tle distillation, and afterwards the naphthaline in vapor, which con- 

 denses in the neck of the retort, in the form of a white crystalline 

 solid. 



Properties. Sp. gr. 1 .048 ; taste pungent and aromatic ; odor 

 peculiar, and said to resemble that of narcissus; to the touch smooth 

 and unctuous; color white; lustre silvery; soluble in alcohol and 

 ether, in olive oil, in oil of turpentine, and in naptha ; not very in- 

 flammable, but, when kindled, burns rapidly, with much smoke ; 

 fusible at 180; evaporates at the common temperature and boils 

 at 410; its condensed vapor readily crystallizes in thin trans- 

 parent laminae. By Dr. Thomson's analysis, naphthaline consists of 

 one equivalent and a half of carbon 9, and of 1 of hydrogen, and its 

 own equivalent is therefore 10. According to Dr. Thomson's views 

 it is, therefore, a scsqui-carburet. It appears to form, with sulphuric 

 acid, another peculiar acid, to which the name of sulpho-naphthalic 

 has been given, and its compounds have been called sulpho-naph- 

 thalates. There is also an acid, apparently formed by the action of 

 nitric acid. It is scarcely necessary to detail the particulars of these 

 unimportant compounds.* 



* Phil. Trans. 1825, Part II, and Ann. of Philos. XXVII, 44, and New Series, 

 VI, 136. Eng. Quar. Jour. VIII, 289. Murray. Turner. 



