160 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



different portions of the distillation, a very small Liebig's condenser, 

 in which, the delivery tube can be inserted, will be found the most 

 convenient arrangement to employ. In this way, by distillation, I 

 was enabled to detect the presence of carbolic acid in creasote, where 

 I had mixed only one part of the former with a hundred parts of the 

 latter, which would be more than sufficiently delicate for any case 

 likely to occur in commerce ; for where such adulteration was prac- 

 tised, it is probable that a much larger proportion of carbolic acid 

 would be used, to render the fraud sufficiently remunerative. In the 

 same way, I have readily succeeded in detecting the presence of car- 

 bolic acid in oil of cloves, where I had purposely added a small 

 proportion of that acid, as it is stated that this very objectionable 

 fraud is occasionally practised, of adulterating the essential oil of 

 cloves with carbolic acid. 



The few applications that I have referred to are, I should trust, 

 sufficient to indicate the practical utility of this test; which, being at 

 the same time so simple and easily performed, will, I have no doubt, 

 be found useful for the objects stated, as well as for others to which it 

 may be applied. 



