TURPENTINE OIL. 463 



bruised or intentionally incised, there flows from them 

 a clear, thick, viscid liquid, turpentine. This is a so- 

 lution of a resin in oil of turpentine. As it occurs in 

 commerce, it is yellow, sometimes clear, sometimes 

 turbid, of a bitter taste and slight odor. Distilled 

 with water, oil of turpentine passes over and the resin 

 remains behind. 



Properties. Colorless, thin oil of a peculiar, unpleas- 

 ant odor ; specific gravity, 0.89 ; boiling point, 160. 

 Yapor density, 4.698. Almost insoluble in water, 

 miscible with alcohol and ether in all proportions. It 

 dissolves sulphur, phosphorus, and a great many other 

 substances that are insoluble in water. It absorbs 

 oxygen from the air, and converts it partially into 

 ozone. Towards polarized light it conducts itself dif- 

 ferently, according to its origin: that obtained from the 

 turpentine of Pinus maritima (French oil of turpen- 

 tine), of Pinus Mughus, Abies pectinata (templin oil), 

 and Laryx europcea, rotates the plane of polarization 

 towards the left ; that from the turpentine of Pinus 

 australis (English oil of turpentine), however, towards 

 the right. 



Under the influence of heat, acids, etc., it is con- 

 verted into other varieties with other properties, but 

 without a change in the percentage composition. The 

 oil, which is originally produced in the trees, too, ap- 

 pears to be different from that prepared from turpen- 

 tine. Pine branches distilled with water give an en- 

 tirely different, almost agreeably smelling oil, which, 

 when distilled over potassa, becomes ordinary oil of 

 turpentine. 



Transformations. Oil of turpentine, left for months 

 in contact with acidified water,* is partially converted 

 into a colorless and inodorous body, terpine (hydrate of 

 oil of turpentine), CMi^O 2 + H 2 0, which crystallizes 

 very regularly ; fuses at 100, losing its water of crys- 

 tallization ; sublimes at a higher temperature undecom- 

 posed ; is sparingly soluble in cold water, easily soluble 

 in hot water and in alcohol and ether. When its so- 



* A well-shaken mixture of eight parts of oil of turpentine, two 

 parts of weak nitric acid, and one part of alcohol, is the best. 



